The Sunnyvale Public Library first began as a Reading Room organized by the Women's Christian Temperance Union and staffed by volunteers.  Opening on September 14, 1908, the Reading Room's collection consisted of fifty books which had been discarded by the San Jose Library. The idea for a Reading Room came about during a meeting of a small group of citizens held at Mrs. F. E. Devert's home. She would become one of the key figures in maintaining and growing the Reading Room over the next few years.

The Free Reading Room and Public Library grew quickly. After just one year, the collection had grown to 500 volumes of books, four daily newspapers, six weeklies and a large number of magazines. The Reading Room was also a branch of the State California Library Association.