Heiner's experience at the library isn't an isolated incident. Many of the volunteers at PlaneTree started out as patrons. Why they decided to stay is part of what distinguishes PlaneTree from other libraries—its commitment to providing personal attention to the patrons.

"They were practically greeting me at the door," first-time patron Tom Snell said about the staff. Snell, who lives in Santa Cruz County, made the trip into town because his local library didn't have as many specialized medical texts.

PlaneTree, which relocated to Los Gatos in April after 14 years in San Jose, is a medical health library that carries more than 3,000 of the latest health books and audio and visual tapes on both traditional and alternative medicine. The library offers periodical files on more than 700 topics and has a large collection of journals and health magazines.

The information is presented in pamphlets organized in a question-and-answer format containing the most basic information or within a complex medical textbook to meet the needs of everyone.

"The person can start wherever their level of understanding is," said library director Candace Ford. "We try to have a very wide range" of materials.

Tony Barbella, a patron-turned-volunteer at the library, has been coming to PlaneTree the past six years to research general health information.

"I've found this to be one of the most useful places of information, particularly to the lay person," Barbella said. "You're able to get a complete view."

"If you ask a question, you don't get an opinion," he said, adding that the librarians at PlaneTree aren't biased and that they let patrons know of information from medical experts with opposing views.

Those who work at the library say they don't presume to know what a patron needs. Instead, they will sit with each patron and have the person describe the medical condition, then help point the person to the right source of information.

"Listening is a big part of what we do," Ford said.

Staff members at the library say they get patrons who want more information about their medical condition than what their doctors provide, some who are too scared to see a doctor and want to do research on their own first and people trying to figure out how to deal with a loved one afflicted with an illness.

Patrons can access three specialized health databases that they otherwise would not be able to log onto from a home computer. Christi Welter, who sits on the library's advisory board, said people should be aware that public websites are sometimes set up by drug manufacturers who control the information provided.

Another service the library provides is material written in Spanish and Vietnamese, and the library is staffed by people who are bilingual.

While maintaining the look of an office building to some degree, the library is furnished with wicker chairs around a coffee table and displays of miniature figurines, and the children's corner is accented by plush teddy bears. The children's section includes books on heavy topics, such as how a child can deal with the loss of a loved one, but they are written as fiction with illustrations for the child.

With the move from San Jose, the library has gone from providing one public computer with dial-up connection to the Internet to four workstations with DSL.

The library also has a gift shop, where it sells books and games on health-related issues. Like the library's collection, the books for sale range in topics from cancer and heart conditions to yoga and ways for parents to effectively raise a teenager.

"People don't know how much we have in here that's not about medical conditions," Ford said.

PlaneTree is located at 15891 Los Gatos­Almaden Road. The library is handing out a free 350-page family health guide to patrons to celebrate the new move. For more information, call 408.358.5667 or visit http://www.planetreesanjose.org.