WELCOME
The Dioceses of California and El Camino Real in association with Saint Thomas Gardner Memorial Library are pleased to provide our parish and mission communities with an expansive library and resource center to support individual & group ministries, programs, education and spiritual growth.
We maintain a collection of over 7,000 titles with new additions every year. Our children’s section alone contains over 2,000 titles including Caldecott, National Book and Newbery award winners.
ONLINE CATALOG
These resources are available online. Visit our Online Public Access Catalog OPALS and take a tour.
COLLECTION HIGHLIGHTS
Choose from a variety of cataloged items for adults, teens, and children of all ages, including:
- Biblical Commentaries
- Episcopal Church & Comparative Religion
- Prayer & Mysticism
- Biographies & Church History
- Classics of Western Spirituality
- Spanish & Youth Ministry
- Award-winning Children’s Literature
- An Extensive DVD & CD Library
- And more…
Volunteer staff are available to assist you with program planning, development and implementation through in-person consultations, workshops and training sessions.
Save time and money previewing media, comparing curricula and testing materials before buying or borrowing big-ticket items for one-time use.
There are a variety of materials to inspire your church projects and programs…everything from preparing a capital campaign to organizing vacation bible school!
PROJECT PLANNING
Here’s a sample:
- DVDs & Videos (Educational Series to Entertainment)
- Christian Formation Curricula for All Ages
- Vacation Bible School (VBS) Kits
- Seasonal & Special Occasion Activities
- Arts & Crafts Projects
- Stewardship Programs & Guides
- Pageant Ideas
- Reference Works
- And More…
Before you request any materials, please take a moment to review our “User’s Guide” tab above which includes lending policies and instructions for requesting and returning borrowed materials. We thank you in advance for helping us preserve this treasured collection.
OUR STORY
The library and resource center have been an evolving ministry of Saint Thomas Episcopal Church since 1979…[it] originally began when Carol Campbell, a former school librarian, decided to organize and catalog a collection of about 250 children’s books that were scattered throughout the church, in hopes that they would be more readily accessible to the parish children and families.
In 1984, the library was expanded to the Gardner Memorial Library, dedicated to Campbell’s parents, the Gardner family of Saint Thomas. Since then, many people have contributed to the library, offering donations of time, books, resources, and contributions. When Campbell was approached about the possibility of creating a multi-diocesan resource center, Saint Thomas Episcopal Church, Sunnyvale, “seemed like the ideal location, if the two dioceses were to share a library,” said Campbell.
This multi-diocesan ministry has served the Dioceses of El Camino Real and California since 2004 and 2005, respectively, with resources to aid religious education, ministry, and spiritual growth.
The center’s mission is to support and encourage life-long learning within the Dioceses of California and El Camino Real and to promote transboundary, ecumenical, and international connections through shared materials and resources.
Excerpts taken from Diocese of California – DioBytes: World religions to local prayer books: the Episcopal Resource Center by Caitlin Hubel, May 7, 2013 – read full article here
HOURS
The onsite Library and Episcopal Resource Center is temporarilly closed in compliance with state and county COVID-19 mandates. The meantime, the online catalog is available for resource materials.
Please check back for our hours as visitation restrictions are lifted.
LOCATION
Saint Thomas Episcopal Church (Office Wing)
231 Sunset Avenue, Sunnyvale, CA 94086
We are located at 231 Sunset Avenue in Sunnyvale, California across from Washington Park just minutes from downtown.
CONTACT US
Carol Campbell – Resource Coordinator
Diocese of El Camino Real
Email to: library@stthomas-svale.org
Caren Miles – Associate for Discipleship Ministries
The Episcopal Diocese of California
Email to: library@stthomas-svale.org
You may also contact us through the Online Public Access Catalog OPALS.
USERS GUIDE
“You’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.”
— Dr. Seuss
Materials Requests
Library and Episcopal Resource Center materials may be requested by email or phone.
If you have a login account or would like to set one up, please go to Online Public Access Catalog OPALS, you may request material directly from there.
Loan Periods
- 3 weeks – Books, CD’s, Vertical file materials, and DVD.
- 8+ weeks – Programs or any material used for classes.
Mailing & Billing
- There is no cost to use our materials. The only cost to you is the return postage.
- If items are (1) not returned within the loan period AND/OR (2) returned damaged, you will be billed for the replacement cost.
Thank you for your support and cooperation in caring for the wonderful resources we share at the Library and Episcopal Resource Center!
Library Resource News
If you would like to receive the Library Resource News highlighting available and new resource materials, please email us at:
library@stthomas-svale.org
RESOURCE LINKS
OPALS: Online Public Access Catalog for the Library & Episcopal Resource Center
Diocese of El Camino Real– co-sponsor and diocese of the Saint Thomas parish
Diocese of California – co-sponsor and sister diocese to the north
DioBytes Archive – a weekly enewsletter that includes learning resources with DioCal news
Video Library: Church Vitality Series – DioCal Pacific Church News be::community
BibleGateway.com – Bible passage, topical look-up and more
BibleHub.com – features topical, Greek and Hebrew study tools, concordances, commentaries and more
The Online Book of Common Prayer – the complete Book of Common Prayer with index for easy look-up
Episcopal Digital Network – Lesson Plans That Work for younger and older children
