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Sunnyvale library reports visitor rebound and program-driven growth; staff flags corrected e-book counts
Summary
Library staff told trustees visits have rebounded since the pandemic and credited programming for most of the increase; staff also described corrected e-book figures after identifying last year's double-counting and warned that nonbook media use is declining.
Sunnyvale Board of Library Trustees on Monday heard an annual performance briefing showing modest increases in in-person visits and steady demand for children's services. Library staff told trustees that visitor counts have largely recovered from pandemic lows and that recent growth closely tracks increases in program attendance.
The presentation, led by a library staff member, showed a multi-year visitor trend and a modest rise in overall visits. "We attribute it pretty strongly to the programming increases," the presenter said, noting adult and children's programs that draw repeat attendance. Staff pointed to new features such as the early learning hub and sustained preschool programming as key draws.
Staff reported a small decline in total circulation versus the previous year but said that decline was driven mainly by decreases in nonbook physical media (notably music CDs) and by a correction to last year's e-book numbers. The presenter said the library had unintentionally double-counted some e-book usage in the prior report, inflating last year's figure; after adjusting the methodology, e-book use appears to have normalized. "When we went back and sort of corrected those numbers, it was still really big," staff said of the earlier spike, adding that the current figures are more accurate.
Trustees heard that book (print) circulation has remained consistent year over year and that children and teen materials now make up about 70% of circulation. Staff highlighted changes in how popular-title lists are presented (splitting adult fiction and nonfiction and separating children's series from non-series titles) and noted the continuing popularity of certain titles such as Cracking the Coding Interview and Atomic Habits.
The briefing also covered the Library of Things, where staff said a handful of high-use items (story-time kits, 3D pens, camera kits) circulate many times per copy and are effectively at capacity. Interlibrary-loan data showed the library returned to being a net lender through the Link+ system after a prior-year flip.
Trustees asked several data questions. Board member Lam asked whether population changes could explain visitor growth, and staff reiterated that program attendance correlated most closely with the rise. Vice Chair Hu and others queried parental controls for media checkouts; staff said physical collections are curated into children's sections but that there is no electronic-age blocking on the record side and parents remain responsible for monitoring children's checkouts.
The presentation closed with program and outreach highlights: about 3,000 sign-ups for summer reading (staff changed the incentive to give a book at registration to boost enrollment), nearly doubled attendance at cultural programs, and a homebound delivery service averaging about 36 clients monthly that delivered roughly 2,100 books in the past fiscal year.
The board did not take formal action on the performance report. Staff invited questions and said additional details and charts could be provided on request.
