Like many libraries across the country, the Sunnyvale library has gotten busier in the past year. According to the 2002 Hennen's American Public Library Ratings, the number of people who visited the Sunnyvale library last fiscal year—from July 2001 until this June—was up more than 97,000 from the previous year, and 285,000 more items were circulated. Every day the number of visitors is on the rise, but the current average is 2,500 per day.

This phenomenon may be attributed to many factors, including a slow economy, more children reaching the age where they need to use the library, the availability of free Internet access, and new collections of audiotapes, videotapes and DVDs.

"The library is always busier when people are out of work because they are researching jobs and the library is a source of free entertainment," says circulation supervisor Ellen Giarrizzo. "We are the busiest during the weekends and evenings."

Giarrizzo, who has always been interested in books, used to work for a bookstore but likes the idea of the library not putting a price tag on reading. She says she's noticed an increase in the variety of ethnicities and age groups visiting the library.

In the last fiscal year, out of 1,709,468 total items circulated, 100,233 of those items were in a language other than English. The non-English materials, in order of popularity, were in Chinese, Vietnamese, Russian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Farsi and French.

"Everyone uses the library," says Susan Denniston, administrative librarian. "It's a free service, and people do take advantage of it."

To cater to the growing number of patrons speaking different languages, the library has held special programs catering to these residents. During the month of October, when John Steinbeck was the featured author, the library held Chinese- and Spanish-language book discussions of The Grapes of Wrath, in addition to those in English.

The many library book discussions are kept to approximately 20 participants and are either led by a librarian or someone in the group.

Lucy Zhou, 34, has lived in Sunnyvale for years but only started visiting the library two months ago. Originally from Hong Kong, she uses the library to read the newspaper and check out books for her 9-year-old daughter. Occasionally she will check out Chinese books, but she prefers to read in English.

Mallika Patolla, 32, would prefer to read in her native Telugu, a dialect from Southern India, but the library has no books available in that language. However, she says she does not mind reading in English. She now lives in Cupertino but lived in Sunnyvale so long she knows the library well and continues to use it, she says.

The library holds storytelling sessions, but children can also dial a phone number to listen to a recording of a story. Called Dial-a-Story, this service is available in English and Spanish.

More than 83,000 people have registered library cards through the Sunnyvale library, which allows them to borrow materials, use the Internet at the library and access online resources from their home computer. The number of non­Sunnyvale residents holding cards is 30,299.

Built in 1960, the 63,000-square-foot red brick library, located at 665 W. Olive Ave., has been able to accommodate the growing number of visitors because of its large size.

While the top floor is strictly for library personnel, the bottom floor has a program room and a children's room and a section for teen books, magazines, nonfiction and fiction.

Denniston says that many adult residents take advantage of the library's monthly courses on computer use and website design. There are also books and computers available with large print for those with visual impairments.

Justin Minadeo, 19, who recently moved to Sunnyvale, says that many services are available at the Sunnyvale library that were not in his old town in Wisconsin. He also appreciates the free Internet access because he does not have a computer at home.

The library has a Bookmobile, which brings materials to those who cannot visit the library. The Bookmobile visits retirement homes, schools and various neighborhoods twice per month in order to meet personal requests and allow for returns.

The Bookmobile collection changes regularly and includes children's books, adult fiction, nonfiction, large-print books and audiocassettes. Materials in various languages are available.

"Some people come out every time the Bookmobile visits," Denniston says. "There is more and more demand from the public for more programs for teens and kids."

Rebecca Bridges, who has worked as a children's librarian for eight years, also helps deliver books on the Bookmobile. She says the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling are still so popular the library and Bookmobile cannot keep them in stock.

"The only reason I got a parking place at the library on a Sunday on my day off was because someone was leaving," Bridges says. "It is great to see this many people using the library. This time of year kids come in to do homework after school, and whole families visit on the weekends."

The Sunnyvale Public Library is located at 665 W. Olive Ave. Upcoming book discussion groups include Ulysses, by James Joyce, Nov. 14, A Fine Balance, by Rohinton Mistry, Dec. 12, and Possession, by A.S. Byatt, Jan. 16. The numbers for Dial-a-Story are 408.730.7333 (English) and 408.737.4907 (Spanish). For more information, call 408.730.7300.