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Toy Library Federation news, events and information February 2011 Issue 137
THE TOY LIBRARY LINK
Let The Children Play www.toylibrary.co.nz
2
NEWSLETTER ADVERTISING CHARGES
New Advertising charges for 2011:
(excluding GST):
Size: B&W Colour:
Full Page – $90.00 $200.00
Half Page - $50.00 $120.00
Quarter Page - $30.00
Inclusion of Flyer (supplied by advertiser)
$100.00
Inclusion of 3 or more consecutive
advertisements attracts a discount.
Please contact the Office on 0800148697
or [email protected] for details.
Members: 50% discount (black & white only).
Please note;
Copy must be good quality and photocopy ready
i.e. fully designed
The editor reserves the right to adjust
submitted material.
Deadline for next Newsletter is
1 May 2011
TOY LIBRARY FEDERATION OF NZ
BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2010-2011
Irene Mosley ph (03)418-3152
National President [email protected]
Chris Chambers ph (04)973-9250
National Treasurer [email protected]
Tasha Black ph (04)589-7717
Debbie Bowdler ph (03)528-9214
Teresa Martin ph (09)279-9005
Diane Pitcaithly ph (09)575-7376
Lisa Ross ph (03)418-2097
Kim Siemonek ph (06)378-8033
Vanessa Robertson ph (03)324-4489
STAFF
Christine Jelley 03 388 9743
Office Manager, 0800-148-697
Newsletter Editor [email protected]
Lisa Taylor 03 482-1370
Toy Express 0800-148-699
Toy Buyer [email protected]
Toy Express Hours:
Monday – Thursday 10am-2pm
Office Hours:
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday 11-3 pm
Friday 12-3pm
Office Address: PO Box 27-146
Shirley
CHRISTCHURCH 8640
Website: www.toylibrary.co.nz
The views expressed in this newsletter
are not necessarily those of the TLFNZ.
We recommend Toy Libraries seek
independent advice, particularly in regard
to legal issues.
3
Inside this Issue: from the Editor:
Page:
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Contact Details
Contents, Editorial
President‘s Report
News from the Board
Toy Libraries in the News
Toy Library Awareness Week
Great Toy Hunt
Earthquake Disruption
Questions from the Website Forum
Regional
National Study of Toy Libraries
Employment Matters
Funding Application Hints
What a Good Idea
Charities Annual Return
Toy Express
Best Sellers
From the Manual – Handover
Sound Familiar
Why Won‘t People Help Out?
Showcasing Play
Effort to Restore Child Play
Did you Know?
Housekeeping
Hope you all had a wonderful summer and
have started the year refreshed and full
of enthusiasm.
Children‘s Day and our Toy Library
Awareness week will be happening as you
receive this Link. I look forward to
hearing from you as to how you helped
celebrate the event. Promotional events
and Building partnerships with other
organisations is becoming increasingly
important these days as a means to help
increase toy libraries profile in the
community, which in turn helps when it
comes to fundraising and funding
applications, along with attracting more
families to come along and use our
fantastic libraries.
We had 179 libraries put in applications
for the Lottery grant and all will have
received $800 to spend on toys – a huge
thank you to Lottery Community for
continuing to support toy libraries
throughout the country. Remember this
grant MUST be spent on TOYS and
treasurers, please ensure you correctly
record it in your annual accounts this
year.
A number of regional‘s are in the throes
of taking place throughout the country at
present –an ideal opportunity to meet and
share experiences- I hope you all try to
go along to one near you – and remember
to start saving for next year‘s national
training weekend to be held in Lower Hutt
next July. Christine
4
President‘s Report
Greetings,
As I write this it is hard not to be thinking about our toy library friends in Christchurch.
Our office has been affected and we are wondering how all our people and facilities are,
but we felt it was too soon to be making contact as the first priority for everyone is family
and home. Our insurance broker has been very supportive and has already made contact
with us. We plan to try and contact all the Canterbury toy libraries over the next couple of
weeks. If you are in this region and have time to phone or flick us an email, please do. If
you check out page 10 you will see that by the look of our office Chris was very fortunate
to be having a day off when the quake hit. I think everyone round NZ would be happy for
me to send our love and thoughts to everyone living in and around Christchurch at the
moment.. If there is any practical way that we can help from a distance do let us know.
Our board meeting planned for 25-26th February was cancelled because of the quake. We
did however hold a cyber meeting which was an effective way to cover urgent business.
This exercise was useful as we are always questioning the value of paying to get us all in
one place four times a year. Working with emails and phone calls served a purpose but it
also made me realize that a lot of the good ideas, plans for the future and decisions come
from the informal discussion round the board table and in the motel at night when we are
all together.
The next opportunity for toy libraries to get together for some serious networking on a
larger scale will be our AGM. This is to be held in Nelson on 9th July. We are hoping to
have some top notch speakers that day and would encourage anyone within easy traveling
distance to join us.
Also a reminder to anyone who would like to step up and become more involved with TLFNZ.
Nomination forms for the board are available from Chris at the office. We are particularly
keen to hear from anyone with an IT, marketing or financial skills as these are skill areas
that we would like to increase on the board in the future.
It is to be another busy year for us all. Thank you to you all for all the good work you do.
Regards
Irene Mosley
National President
5
News from the Board
Irene spent two days in Wellington last month building relationships with some of our
previous and current partners.
SKIP
This included visiting the team at SKIP and we are keen to work closer with them as the
parenting message is one that fits so well with our demographics. We are hoping to do
some more work with them in the future. They have some great resources that we could be
making use of. Our influence in children‘s lives in NZ can go beyond just the importance of
play message. The importance of parents being actively involved in their lives in a positive
way is very important for parenting skills as well as developing play.
Check out the resources including posters and hand outs at www.skip.org.nz
PLUNKET
Plunket head office was also visited and discussions were around supporting our 24 member
toy libraries that are also under the Plunket banner. It was good to get feedback from
TL‘s before Christmas that most Plunket toy libraries have good relationships with their
branches. We hope to continue developing ways to make this work for everyone in the
future.
TOY TESTING
Before Christmas some of our toy libraries offered to help us with some toy testing that
we were working on with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. Thank you to everyone who
helped with this. The testing was for lead levels and other dangerous trace elements in
toys. The good news is that the majority of toys in our toy libraries were fine and we are
now more aware about what we should be watching out for when purchasing toys.
More on this in the next newsletter.
TOY LIBRARY CARRY BAGS
TLFNZ has been working on some new publicity materials for
your toy libraries. Watch out for more info on our new toy
bags. These giant size, super strong reusable bags will be a
good option for you for a fundraiser or simply to encourage
your members to use these bags to transport toys to and
from the toy library. We have received some prototypes
that we currently testing, So look out for more information
on our website and in the next newsletter. The feedback so
far has been very positive.
6
Toy Libraries in the News
Ashburton held two successful fundraising and promotion events in October –
Boulevard Day- 27th September 2010, where they sold off tired toys and had
their bouncy castle and face painting for $2 each.
A&P Show- October 29th & 30th over one and a half days, $2 entry-
unlimited for children to use our toys. It was very successful.
7
Toy Library Awareness Week and National Children‘s Day 2011
TLFNZ have been working with the team for National Children‘s Day 2011 and have formed
a partnership. We agreed to promote their day to members and the general public through
our toy libraries and they have included a mention about the benefit of toy libraries in
their activity books which are widely distributed throughout the country as part of the
week. We moved our awareness week to the first week in March to tie in with
Children’s day on Sunday 6th March.
Some Toy Library Events that are happened included:
Eastern Bays –An Information Table was set up outside St Helliers Library and guess the
number lollies in the jar competition held.
Gisborne – Jumpty Castles at the Gisborne Children‘s Day Out event.
Invercargill – joined in with the Invercargill Childrens Day Out event.
And TLFNZ networker Suzie has come up with the idea of a Toy Hunt for the Otautau Toy
Library, which she says you might like to adapt it to suit your community. The aim was to
not stand around all day waiting to see if people were coming. They have also got a $10
discount if new members join in March.
Whatever your plans were for awareness week I hope they went well.
8
The Great Childrens Day Toy Hunt
brought to you by Otautau Toy Cupboard & Playcentre
We have got together to plan a day which all families can take part in.
It‘s about Your Kids and You - a family day.
Visit these places and join these activities and drop off your entries to the competition.
The prize draw is open to all entries.
Activity 1 - After a compulsory 10 minutes testing out the school playground, set out on a treasure hunt
near the tennis courts for the first toy hidden nearby
Write the code from the base of the toy here .....................................
Activity 2 - head over the bridge and play a game of "bat down" at Holt park - make sure everyone has a
turn with the bat (bring own bat and ball)
Activity 3 - Stroll along the street towards the railway lines and chat about how important the loading
bank used to be for trucks to load the trains when much more stuff was moved that way.
How many stones are there in the top row of the loading bank?............
Activity 4 - Yet another playground at the Plunket rooms and the challenge is to see how fast you can
play on each piece of play equipment. Who swung the furtherest on the monkey bars? Was it Dad? Don‘t
forget to go on a bear hunt through the rhododendrons - be Gentle!
What colour necktie is the bear wearing? .......................
Activity 5 - Visit the memorial and the guns. Pretend to be a soldier, don‘t forget to duck for cover, watch
for recoil on the gun and cover your ears!
Activity 6 - At St Johns, see who is driving the ambulance today. Is it Big Ted or Scarecrow?
Activity 7 - count the chainfence posts between the zebra crossing and the school ......................
Why do we have stripes on the road and orange lollipop posts? ..........................
How many fence posts did you count? ...........................
9
Activity 8 - now we take a tour all the way to the Arbouretum stopping near the medical centre to pick up
information
• at the Toy library what toy is showing in the window 1/2 way up the ramp?..............................
• at the medical centre what toy is in the receptionists window?........................................
• what instrument can you see in the window of the New Life church?......................................
• What shape are the pieces of glass in the leadlight windows in the Union church?.........................
Activity 9 - carry on down and have fun at Playcentre. Play with the Playdough set out on the verandah.
can you roll sausages and make your initials? What colour is the Playdough? ......................
Activity 10 -at the arbouretum do a leaf rubbing of an oak leaf.
Well done! You‘ve finished the great Childrens Day toy hunt and now you can all grab an icecream at
the North End Dairy when you drop in your entry forms
Names ..............................................................................................................
Phone number ..........................................
In from one of our toy libraries:
Here is something that might make you smile, I had a mother and her little girl come in to the toy library, the girl wanted the toy with the lady bug ball.
I had no idea what toy she was after; we don‘t have any lady bug balls. She found it herself; it was the Vtech tree house. There are balls with the toy and the red one has a couple of black dots – my lady bug toy.
I learn something new everyday.
10
Earthquake Disruption
Thankfully the recent shaking occurred on a Tuesday – my day out of the Office!
On behalf of myself and Christchurch Toy Libraries, many thanks for all the warm wishes
that have come into the Office from libraries throughout NZ.
Many libraries have emailed or phoned asking if there is anything they can do to help –
(from my point of view – if you could make the shaking stop you‘d be an absolute hero!)
Some libraries have mentioned that if they hear of displaced families, then they are willing
to offer temporary memberships and some others have suggested having a toy drive, and
then holding a garage sale with the proceeds coming down to the Office for distribution to
affected toy libraries or going to one of the earthquake relief funds.
11
QUESTIONS FROM THE WEBSITE FORUM Log on at www.toylibrary.co.nz
Have you checked the forum out lately? Here is a selection of questions currently
being discussed – please share your thoughts with others, either through the forum,
or send them into the Office for inclusion in the next issue.
? End of Year accounts Honorarium Our treasurer does our end of year accounts which take her 10-20 hours to
complete. I feel we should be paying her an honorarium as this is over and
above normal committee duties and if she did not do it we would have to
pay an accountant to do it. What do other TL's do? In house or pay an
accountant? If inhouse to you pay the person and how much?
Many toy libraries and other not for profit organisations find the same issue. How do you
thank someone for the work they do when we can‘t afford to pay the true cost of the work
they do? I know of some groups that pay a small honorarium (remembering that that needs
to be paid through the IRD and is subject to withholding tax) Others will reimburse
associated costs, others give a gift or vouchers as a thank you.
? DVD hire. I note that some toy libraries hire DVD's. How do you deal with the copy
right issues? Is the hire lucrative?
Interesting point - we can only assume members are not copying the dvd's. I am not sure
how we would ever know if they were. Definitely a trust thing! We hire for $1 for 2 weeks.
We have about 250 and are shelves are never full. We find especially in the winter they
are very popular. We try and update throughout the year. It doesn‘t take long for us to
recover our costs as you can get them pretty cheap and they seem to come down in price
soon after their release.
ALL Libraries should read sections 5.2 and 7.2 of the Operations Manual for
more information in regard to Copyright and DVD‘s and ensure they meet
current legislative requirements.
? Quorums
Can anyone advise what we do next when we don’t achieve a quorum at
an AGM? I am going to re-schedule, but if we still can’t get enough for a
quorum do we continue or go into recess?
You need to check to see what your constitution says. When we had trouble with getting a
quorum and had to re-schedule, a note to all members saying that the library would have to
remain closed until a meeting could be held certainly led to a full re-scheduled meeting!
12
Thank you to Lotteries for providing funding towards regional and
national events.
Regional
February regional meetings have been held in Dunedin and Hutt Valley, and there are 5
planned for March, and others planned to take place later in the year. Thanks to all
everyone involved in these regionals, and we hope those who attend go away buzzing with
renewed enthusiasm for toy libraries.
Upcoming regionals include:
Confirmed:
Wanganui – 5th March
Stoke – 17th March
Amberley – 24th March
Masterton – 26th March
Manukau – 31st March
Nelson – AGM & Regional 9 July
Still to be confirmed:
Methven
Omarau
Invercargill
King Country
Wairarapa
Tauranga
Dunedin Regional Report:
We had a good evening attended by 14 people. Lisa Taylor talked about Toy Express
and showed us some of the latest toys, and Irene gave a powerpoint presentation of Lucie
Ozanne‘s research into toy libraries, which generated good discussion. Samples of the
proposed new Toy Library Bags were shown and tested for suitability with toys from the
Parent Centre library and all agreed that they would be useful for families to use.
Successful fundraising ideas included:-
Mystery Envelope Appeal – each member donates a $5+ item and other items are
purchased or businesses approached for donations. Then set up a stall outside a
shopping centre and sell $5 mystery envelopes to the public.
Playhouse Raffle – a granddad offered to build a playhouse which was then able
to be displayed and raffled off to the public.
Thank you to Dunedin Parent Centre for hosting this evening.
13
A NATIONAL STUDY OF TOY LIBRARY USERS
Lucie K. Ozanne1, Julie L. Ozanne2 and Paul W. Ballantine3
The following is an abridged summary of the report into NZ toy libraries. If you would like a copy of the full report, please contact the Office. Our thanks to Lucie for undertaking this research and providing us with her findings. Abstract
Communities throughout the world generally hold that children have a fundamental right to
play. In fact, a long history of public policies and laws seek to promote play by providing a
range of financial and material resources. Toy libraries are an important resource that can
provide children with vital developmental tools for play by allowing families to borrow toys
in a process similar to public book libraries. A two stage study, including both a qualitative
and a quantitative stage, was conducted in New Zealand to explore the range of meanings
and benefits provided to toy library users. In the qualitative stage, nineteen in-depth
interviews were conducted with parents, and supplemented with fifteen brief interviews
with children, who frequent toy libraries to explore how families use the toy libraries to
gain a variety of benefits and construct different social meanings. In the quantitative
stage, the authors use quantitative data from 397 toy library members to explore why
members choose to participate and to determine their level of satisfaction with toy library
services in New Zealand. The quantitative stage reveals four groups – Socialites, Market
Avoiders, Quiet Anti-Consumers and Passive Members. The Socialites enjoy the social
benefits of active participation in their library. The Market Avoiders also perceived social
and community benefits, are interested in sharing, and are the least materialistic of the
groups. The Quiet Anti-Consumers feel a sense of belonging to their toy library and hold
strong anti-consumption, frugality and sharing values. The Passive Members are not socially
involved, nor did they hold strong anti-consumption values.
The right to play is a child's first claim on the community. Play is nature's training
for life.
No community can infringe that right without doing deep and enduring harm to the
minds and bodies of its citizens.
David Lloyd George (1926)
14
Introduction
Lloyd George asserted that children‘s right to play is a fundamental right of citizenship
(Powell and Seaton 2007). Children‘s right to recreation was formally affirmed by The
Declaration on the Rights of the Child (UN General Assembly 1959). Play was again
acknowledged as a basic right of children worldwide in the United Nations Conventions on
the Rights of the Child (UN General Assembly 1989), which by the end of 2008 was signed
by 192 nations. Thus, communities throughout the world generally hold that children have
a fundamental right to play. In fact, a long history of public policies and laws seek to
promote play by providing a range of financial and material resources. Toy libraries are an
important resource that can provide children with vital developmental tools for play by
allowing families to borrow toys in a process similar to public book libraries.
Although toy libraries have been in existence since the 1930‘s and New Zealand has one of
the highest numbers of toy libraries in the world, second only to Switzerland, very little is
known about the benefits of participation in toy libraries. In order to address this gap in
the literature, a two part study was undertaken.
Limitations and Conclusions
Although we attempted to capture a range of experiences with the toy library, by sampling
a range of large and small libraries, our findings are likely more representative of lower
middle class to upper middle class families. Families of lower socio-economic levels may
utilize toy libraries in different ways and derive different benefits. For instance, research
in the U.K. conducted in areas of economic and social disadvantage found that parents
valued the toy libraries as a ―gateway to other opportunities‖ and an accessible form of
work experience (Capacity and Play Matters 2007, p. 15). However, additional research is
needed to understand how toy libraries impact the relationship to the marketplace for
consumers with fewer resources.
Public policy makers who are concerned about levels of materialism and the negative impact
of the marketplace on children‘s lives should find these results useful (Linn 2005). The
qualitative results suggest that parents are concerned about the intrusion of the
marketplace on childhood, but they have attempted to restrict that intrusion through
their use of the toy library. Also, based on the many benefits reported by parents, toy
libraries offer a potentially valuable community resource that should be more widely
available. Public policy makers should recognise that toy libraries can provide access to
toys that are well suited to support children‘s intellectual, physical, and social development
particularly in communities marked by concentrated economic disadvantage.
15
In terms of recommendations for those responsible for operating toy libraries in New
Zealand, first they should be commended for the very high degree of satisfaction
reported by the nearly 400 respondents who completed the national survey and the
interviewed parents. Respondents report a high degree of satisfaction with the fees
charged by toy libraries, the number of toys they may borrow and the length of borrowing
period, with the duties required of them as toy library volunteers, and most importantly
with the condition and selection of toys they may borrow. Parents also feel they may save
money by utilising their toy library, can access a large number of toys and can try toys
before they buy them. Many also report feeling connected to their toy library and that it
is fun to participate in the duties of their toy library.
However, the results of both stages of this study suggest that toy libraries could more
effectively target toy library users. For example, toy libraries could communicate to
Socialites the social benefits of participating in a toy library. Conversely, by recognising
that these social aspects are not as important to Passive Members, toy library members in
this group may find it desirable to pay a higher subscription fee if it allowed them to forgo
toy library duties.
As Neil Postman (1982, xi) states: ―Children are the living messages we send to a time we
will not see.‖ Local community toy libraries support our youngest citizens‘ first claim on the
community—the right to play. Moreover, toy libraries extend this right to include the right
to play with diverse material objects that challenge children in a safe environment with
significant social interaction, which are all important for early childhood development.
In conclusion, our findings suggest that parents are actively engaged socializing their
children by using toy libraries to mediate the influence of the market on their children.
These parents find the toy library to be a stress-free alternative to buying in the
marketplace providing their children with greater influence to pursue a wide range of toys
and develop diverse skills. While past research suggest that children are becoming more
market savvy (Gunther and Furnham 1998) and sophisticated consumers (Valkenburg and
Cantor 2001), our findings suggest that parents intervene to diminish the impact of the
market on their children. Parents appreciated the non-commercialised space of the toy
library that offered a safe haven for exploration and growth through the sharing of
collective goods.
While strong yet different ideological themes were found throughout the qualitative data,
they represent the parents re-appropriating the original meaning and the more traditional
benefits espoused within toy libraries (Dockrell and Wilkinson 1989). Moreover, these
findings suggest a potentially more relevant and invigorating direction that toy libraries
and other communities of sharing might use to attract a broader and more committed set
of patrons.
16
Employment Matters
Employment Agreements
The Act has underlined the company‘s requirement to keep a signed copy of each and
every individual employment agreement or current terms and conditions, and be able to
provide one to any employee who requests it. Non-compliance will result in a penalty (after
a 7-day opportunity to rectify it). The only sensible way of doing this will be to keep the
copy in each individual‘s personal file.
If you, or anyone you know, do not have these agreements in place you need to put a process in place before 1 July.
Holidays Act Cashing in leave
An employee may now be paid out up to 1 week‘s leave, every entitlement year, out of their
minimum entitlement (currently 4 weeks per annum). There are various rules:
it must be requested by the employee and genuinely agreed to by the employer;
the employee cannot be required to request it, nor can it be included in an
employment agreement;
it must be out of an entitlement (not accrued), so no-one can be paid out any leave
during their first year with an organisation;
it is paid out at the same rate as if taken in the week paid out;
an employer is allowed to have a policy that they will not consider such requests in
all or a part of their business;
if leave is paid out when it was not requested, the leave balance will not be
reduced.
You need to be clear when the entitlement year finishes for each employee. If you close down over Christmas, the start of the closedown is the entitlement anniversary – otherwise it will usually be the employee’s start date. If you agree to such payouts make absolutely certain you have a signed request.
Minimum Wage:
The Minimum Wage increases to $13.00 hour as from 1st April 2011.
17
Funding Application Hints Attracting Funding
Read the criteria for every funding application carefully. Be sure that the funder fits your needs and can provide the funding you need for the costs that you cannot meet.
Find out what you have in common with the funder - what do they consider a good result. Every funder measures certain outcomes as their indicator of how well they are doing. If you can show that your goals match their goals you are more likely to be funded.
Check the funding deadline and make sure you can complete your application by that time - early if possible.
Ask how long it will take between applying for funding and receiving money if you are successful. This will have a substantial impact on your planning.
Ask the funder how good they think your chances of success are. This will help you with your risk management.
Find out how much detail the funder wants. Some funders want a one page summary, while others want as much detail as you can provide. Feel free to add appendixes to short applications, but be aware that the funder may not read them.
Find out how strict the funder is on the filling out of application forms. Some require every box to be filled in full with no mistakes whatsoever, whereas others are satisfied with 'n/a' or 'see attached'.
Be very clear about how much funding you are requesting, over what period and what it is for.
Provide a cash flow forecast for EVERY year that you are requesting funding and potentially for the year after if that is needed by the funder.
Be very clear about what will come out of your project. Who will your project help, how will it affect your community? Make sure that you are able to measure these results clearly. A project that creates a 'happier community' is hard to measure compared to a project that creates a 'happier community' by providing 4 community events and temporarily employing 4 people.
Talk to the funding provider, many regions have information meetings. Ask them how your plan can improve its chances of receiving funding. Take any advice at face value. Funders have a lot of experience in this field - make use of it.
Try not to put all of your eggs in one basket. You have not succeeded in attracting funding until the money is in your bank account. Most funders have a limited pool of money and even projects that they feel should be funded can be declined due to a lack of funds.
Try not to be discouraged if you do not attract funding. Get advice from your funding provider about why you were declined and use that advice for any future applications.
18
What a Good Idea! This is the page where you get the opportunity to share all
your good ideas and tips with everyone else!
For toys with small parts, I went to all our banks in town and got new coin bags, BNZ
had some bags which were a little longer, perfect for the tiny pieces of Lego.
Thanks Thames for this good idea.
Rangiora held a Prenzel tasting and charged a $5 entry fee (pure profit). Prenzel
give a raffle pack to the organisation (which depends on the sales). We then gave
every member 10 tickets to sell, which they did and some wanted more, and we
raised over $750 and it was a fun night for members to get together.
Well done Rangiora
When preparing your budget and/or putting in a grant application for wages,
remember to add on about 10% to the gross wage to help account for other
employment related costs such as holiday pay, sick leave and ACC levies.
Keep wooden jigsaw pieces in place using stockings. This speeds up checking, assists
in presentation and helps keep the pieces in good condition.
WAATL newsletter Sept‘10
Board Members are only too happy to
offer suggestions and advice or to lend a
listening ear to any library.
So if you want to talk over, or find out
how to deal with, an issue, please contact
do contact the Office.
19
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21
Toy Express
Providing help and advice in choosing toys, advice including
where to get the best value for money. Our business is
helping toy libraries, not making money. We only add on a
small margin to keep the service operational. For your toy
buying needs, please contact us by email or phone advising
your toy library‘s name and if ordering, delivery and invoice
addresses.
Purchasing toys Many catalogues carry the same products; however the prices can be very different. Toy
Express keeps up with the changes and generally know where to source toys for you at the
best prices. Once you have made a list of the items you would like to buy, contact Toy
Express and we will do the sourcing, ordering and delivery to your doorstep. If it is better
for you to deal direct with a supplier we will advise you. We aim to have regular specials
throughout the year, so look out for these, which are often sent via email, and try and get
your committee to allow you some discretionary buying power so that when that super deal
comes up, you can order it without having to wait for your next committee meeting.
Toy Express has direct access to many wholesalers which means our prices are often
well below retail. We work with many of the toy companies in New Zealand (and some in
Australia) to access high quality toys at reasonable prices for you. We are able to source
most major brands.
Toy Express can place orders for you from many suppliers including Modern Teaching Aids
and Play n Learn.
Toy Libraries ordering direct from both Teacher Direct and Every Educaid will receive a
10% discount (Every Educaid orders need to be over $100.00 to receive a discount). Please
contact Toy Express first as we can often find the same toy at a better price.
Quotes
Contact Toy Express for your quotes. Simply give us a catalogue reference, page number,
code and description. There is a form you can download from the Toy Library Federation
of New Zealand website or just email your list. Please allow at least 7 days for quotes to
be completed. A freight component will be added.
Please note our new logo
22
Freight Some suppliers will only send to Toy Express. We wait until we have a number of orders
before placing a bulk order with the supplier. By doing this we can often get freight free
to Toy Express, or spread the freight between several libraries. We do our best to keep
the freight as cheap as possible for you. Some suppliers send direct to toy libraries and
most seem to have reasonable freight costs.
Invoices Lisa Ross, a TLFNZ Board member does all of the invoicing to toy libraries voluntarily,
doing this around her part time job and family commitments. When paying into the Toy
Express bank account please note the invoice number as a reference. Contact Toy Express
with any queries regarding invoices.
Balance Bikes
At a recent Dunedin regional meeting of toy libraries we discussed the best balance bikes
and the general consensus was that the Kettler 10‖ Speedy is a great little balance bike
for 2-4 years. A popular bike for the next size up is the JD Bug. The Y-Bike is fairly new
on the market for 18months – 3.5 years and I‘ve had very good feedback so far from toy
libraries who have purchased this.
JD Bug
Y-Bike
Kettler 10‖ Speedy
23
Best Selling Toys for January/February 2011
1. Eurotike Fire or Police Tandem Trike
2. Pop Up Co Adventure World 3. Little Tikes Festival Kitchen
4. Little Tikes 30th Anniversary 5. John Deere Classic Tractor & Trailer
Cosy Coupe
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6. John Deere Mini Digger 7. Quickfold Fun Slides
8. Turnstyles 9. Junior Trampoline
For more information and prices on these, or any other toys, please contact:
Lisa Taylor, Toy Buyer
Ph 0800 148 699 or 03 4821 370
Office Hours: Monday-Thursday 10am-2pm
25
From the Manual...
In each issue of the Link, we will be including a section from the Operations Manual.
9.5 HANDOVER – AND OUT!
It may seem a little premature to be thinking about handing a project on when you are still
in the planning stages, or even when you have just joined a committee. However, consider
how you can make a smooth transition in the event of new committee taking over, which will
ensure your toy library continues to thrive and offers continuity of service for your users.
There is often a high turnover of volunteers in toy libraries, many committees‘ flounder at
the point of changeover. This is often because there is insufficient information available
to the new team. Difficulties arise when:
Records are patchy or cannot be found
There is a poor or non-existent ―handover period‖
New volunteers are inexperienced, untrained or unsure of their responsibilities
Policies and procedures are not clarified.
To help ensure the continued success of your project in the event of committee changes
have:
A clear management structure
Clear written guidelines for the running of your toy library and procedures that
everyone can follow.
A handover period for all new staff/volunteers.
An induction programme for all new staff/volunteers
Information folders for all new staff/volunteers
Clear records of your toy library including committee members‘ correspondence,
fundraising applications etc.
Training available for new staff/volunteers.
9.6 DON‘T DO IT ALL YOURSELF!
The motivating force behind the setting up of a toy library has often been one person with
a vision! However, it is important to involve others from the very beginning. Set up a small
steering group and allocate the various jobs to different individuals. In this way you will
share the burden and draw on the differing expertise of other people. In the long term
this will create a healthy and sustainable project with accountability. If you go it alone –
what will happen when you need to move on?
26
As with any team, it functions effectively only so long as the positions are clearly defined
at the outset and respected in their execution. Teams stumble when there is:
an imbalance or concentration of power;
a lack of accountability;
unclear definition or understanding of the roles and responsibilities; or
a lack of focus on the critical issues.
It is the human resource which is unique to the organisation and it is the human capability
and commitment that they bring to the organisation, which leads to success.
“Volunteering - every minute counts" will be the
theme for the 2011 Volunteer Awareness Week
which will take place from 19th - 25 June.
The theme will highlight that volunteers provide an invaluable contribution to our society
and that every minute of their work counts. For those who manage/organise volunteer
programmes this means they need to consider how they can be flexible in how and when
they involve their volunteers so as to enable everyone possible - even the busiest - to have
the opportunity to volunteer. For everyone who is considering volunteering, it means that
every moment of their busy life they can spare for volunteering is valuable because
volunteers all contribute no matter what amount of time they give.
27
Sound Familiar? From the latest Exult Magazine:
―We‘re a relatively small club and we only have a handful of committee members who do all of the work. We‘re continuously asking other members to get involved but I feel like I‘m banging my head against a brick wall. How do you get people to do their bit?‖
Kerri says:
In every organisation there are people who
make things happen and I‘m guessing that
you‘re one of these people. You don‘t need to
be told what to do – you just see what needs
doing and get it done right? You are vital to
the success of your organisation, but not
everyone thinks (or acts) the way you do –
and usually that‘s what causes the
frustration.
Consider that in every organisation there
are 3 types of people: Drivers, Passengers
and Hitch-hikers. The drivers (that‘s
probably you) make decisions, co-ordinate
plans and get things done no matter what
they have to sacrifice along the way. While
drivers are usually happy to take the lead,
they can quickly get frustrated if they feel
like everyone else is just there for the ride.
This is where a change in mindset can make
all the difference.
Most of the people in your organisation will
be passengers. Yes, they are there for
whatever benefits your club provides, but
contrary to what you may think, passengers
are also more than happy to help out when
they‘re needed. However often times,
passengers don‘t even realize that you need
help or if they do, they don‘t know
specifically what you need help with.
Passengers are different to drivers. Drivers
jump in boots and all, whereas passengers
need to feel sure they are able to complete
the task before they volunteer. They need
to know exactly what they are required to
do, who they‘ll be doing it with, when, for
how long, and for how often. Passengers are
usually not as confident as drivers, and
drivers tend to forget that. Drivers tent do
treat passengers like they are drivers in
disguise-but they‘re not. You need to
approach them differently.
If you want more passengers helping out, be
specific in your requests, invite them to be
involved face-to-face, and buddy them up
with someone who can show them what to
do. If you don‘t get enough helpers for a
specific activity or event, go back and ask
again. They need to know if you are still
looking for help. If you continue to fill the
gaps yourself, passengers will assume that
you ended up with enough helpers after all.
And for hitch-hikers? There are usually less
of these than you think, but it‘s hard to tell
until you get all your ‗passengers‘ actively on
board. Once this happens the hitch-hikers
become less frustrating, because you don‘t
feel like you‘re doing it all on your own.
28
Why Won't More People Help Out?
So many times we hear people complaining that it's the same people doing the same jobs all
of the time - but it doesn't have to be that way. If you want more people in your
organisation to get involved, chances are there are a couple of things you're missing. Next
time you find yourself sighing, consider these top reasons why people aren't helping out:
1. They don’t know what you want them to do
People want to make sure they are completely capable of doing a job, before they
volunteer to do it. When making requests for volunteers, tell them exactly what you need
them to do, when it needs to be done, how long it will take, where it needs to take place,
and who they will be working with. It is easier for people to say yes, when they know what
they are saying yes to.
2. You haven’t asked them personally
If you ask for volunteers in a newsletter or via a bulk email, you will usually only get replies
from your hard-core volunteers. The remainder will assume that with so many people
reading the request, somebody else will put their hand up to help. When you ask for help
one-on-one, people know they are needed.
3. They have offered to help before and you turned them down
People volunteer to help out because they want to be of service, and if they are not being
of service to you, they will go and be of service to somebody else. As soon as someone
shows a desire to volunteer – find them a job – even if you have to create one!
4. They have helped before and they weren’t appreciated
Very few people are so saint-like that they will continue to volunteer despite lack of
reward or recognition. If they didn‘t feel appreciated the first time, chances are they
won‘t volunteer for a second.
5. They CAN’T not WON’T
Not everyone has the skills or confidence to do certain tasks. Be sensitive to what people
might be thinking or feeling, and offer opportunities to make it easier for them. Perhaps
they need some extra training, or there is a different task which is better suited.
-Article added to the Exult Website January 2010
29
Showcasing Play the Old Fashioned Way –
That‘s What Toy Libraries Do Best
By Judy Iacuzzi, Executive Director, USA Toy Library Association
The New York Times in January ran a story about play. No big news to us in the toy library
field, you may say, but it is a big deal in the world today.
The story talks about how a mom is offering costumes and toys to her kids and her kids‘
friends and letting them ―have at it.‖ Go ahead and make up some fun, was the message she
gave as she offered the scarves, hats, marbles and balls and let the living room get messy
as the children began to play.
The idea of free play, this winter of 2011, is challenged by so many devices. Devices with
buttons you hold in your hand and select. Up pops an image on a ready-made screen and off
you go – playing alone with your programmed, tell-you-how-to do-it, handheld device. These
devices – and the time spent with them (7 hours and 38 minutes a day on average per child,
according to the Times, which was quoting a Kaiser Family Foundation study in 2010)
actually challenge imaginary thought processing, an area of the brain that needs
stimulation early on to work later on in life. And that‘s not the only part of the cranium
that may be stultified.
We asked our play expert, one of several on the USA-TLA board, Rhoda Redleaf, to
respond to this story from the Times. We asked her directly about the issue of the
interruption of play in modern life, particularly the lives of children. We asked her what
toy libraries could do to offset the trend.
―Toy libraries should first and foremost get copies of the story from the Times,
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/06/garden/06play.html?emc=eta1) and think about
hosting a play day. That would be an excellent project for an early childhood organization,
like a toy library or like-minded group, to encourage play and build awareness and
momentum. By focusing on games, open-ended toys like balls and blocks, and using sand,
mud and other elements of nature with play potential, the event might open some eyes to
its importance and encourage other play events. The whole point is to challenge the
ubiquitous Internet, the Xboxes and other technology devices that take up so much time
today.‖
The other aspect, said Ms. Redleaf, an author and respected educator of child care
workers, parents and teachers of young children, is to build awareness of this issue. ―Make
available to parents and members of the toy library and even boards of directors
30
information that play is being dwarfed, is losing out to less imaginative, cooperative, skill-
building, risk-taking activities that are valuable aspects of unprogrammed, self-directed
play.
―Emphasize blocks and puzzles and Lego-type toys, trucks and dolls and other materials
that encourage problem-solving and skill-building and sorting out situations together so
everyone has fun. These kinds of opportunities have been disappearing from our homes and
schools,‖ said Ms. Redleaf, who is the founder of Toys 'n‘ Things in St. Paul, Minn., one of
the original toy libraries in the USA.
―With rare exception, a major problem with all the technology is isolation.‖
Said the founding member of the USA-TLA and current emeritus board member of
Resources for Child Caring, a distinguished social service and training program in St. Paul,
―Recently there have been a number of articles on the value of outdoor play for children.
If toy libraries took up the idea of making parents aware of how to encourage outdoor
play, it would balance the indoor play with more physical, imaginative activity good for
overall health throughout one‘s life.‖
Ms. Redleaf knows whereof she speaks. She is the author of best-selling books on
handmade toys and creative field trips. Some of her more popular publications include Busy Fingers, Growing Minds; Open the Door, Let‘s Explore More!; and Learn and Play the GREEN Way.
―In fact, I have noticed younger children bored with their technology devices around when
they don‘t have the latest game to play or application to use.
―I don‘t remember my kids being bored,‖ said the woman who always had a bag of Play-
Doh™ and a plastic bag with shaving cream and food coloring around to fuel the play action
with her kids at home.
Ms. Redleaf, who has a children‘s room named after her in the Hennepin County Library in
Minneapolis, recommends discussing the idea of boredom with toy library patrons.
―Discuss how to counter its effects. There is a problem that when the technology is
absent, kids may not know what to do with themselves.‖
Perhaps there‘s an opportunity for toy libraries to rearrange their toy inventory to
showcase toys that encourage more free-form play, create ―toys of the month‖ that have
nothing to do with technology and everything to do with figuring out how to play with other
children. And encourage the parents to lay down their Blackberries™ and sit on the floor
with their kids and start playing, too, she added.
31
Effort to Restore Children’s Play Gains Momentum
By HILARY STOUT Published: January 5, 2011
A version of this article appeared in print on January 6, 2011, on page D1 of the New York edition.
Ruth Fremson/The New York Times
Sarah Wilson (shown with Benjamin, 6, and Laura,
3) of Stroudsburg, Pa., says, ―There‘s no
imaginative play anymore, no pretend.‖
SARAH WILSON was speaking proudly the other
day when she declared: ―My house is a little
messy.‖ Ms. Wilson lives in Stroudsburg, Pa., a
small town in the Poconos. Many days, her home is
strewn with dress-up clothes, art supplies and other
artifacts from playtime with her two small children,
Benjamin, 6, and Laura, 3. ―I let them get it messy
because that‘s what it‘s here for,‖ she said.
Ms. Wilson has embraced a growing movement to
restore the sometimes-untidy business of play to the
lives of children. Her interest was piqued when she
toured her local elementary school last year, a few
months before Benjamin was to enrol in
kindergarten. She still remembered her own
kindergarten classroom from 1985: it had a
sandbox, blocks and toys. But this one had a wall of
computers and little desks.
―There‘s no imaginative play anymore, no pretend,‖
Ms. Wilson said with a sigh.
For several years, studies and statistics have been
mounting that suggest the culture of play in the
United States is vanishing. Children spend far too
much time in front of a screen, educators and
parents lament — 7 hours 38 minutes a day on
average, according to a survey by the Kaiser Family
Foundation last year. And only one in five children
live within walking distance (a half-mile) of a park
or playground, according to a 2010 report by the
federal Centers for Disease Control, making them
even less inclined to frolic outdoors.
Behind the numbers is adult behavior as well as
children‘s: Parents furiously tapping on their
BlackBerrys in the living room, too stressed by
work demands to tolerate noisy games in the
background. Weekends consumed by soccer,
lacrosse and other sports leagues, all organized and
directed by parents. The full slate of lessons (chess,
tae kwon do, Chinese, you name it) and homework
beginning in the earliest grades. Add to that
parental safety concerns that hinder even true
believers like Ms. Wilson. ―People are scared to let
their kids outside, even where I live,‖ she said. ―If I
want my kids to go outside, I have to be with
them.‖
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, a developmental psychologist
at Temple University in Philadelphia, concluded,
―Play is just a natural thing that animals do and
humans do, but somehow we‘ve driven it out of
kids.‖
Too little playtime may seem to rank far down on
the list of society‘s worries, but the scientists,
psychologists, educators and others who are part of
the play movement say that most of the social and
intellectual skills one needs to succeed in life and
work are first developed through childhood play.
Children learn to control their impulses through
games like Simon Says, play advocates believe, and
32
they learn to solve problems, negotiate, think
creatively and work as a team when they dig
together in a sandbox or build a fort with sofa
cushions. (The experts define play as a game or
activity initiated and directed by children. So video
games don‘t count, they say, except perhaps ones
that involve creating something, and neither, really,
do the many educational toys that do things like
sing the A B C‘s with the push of a button.)
Much of the movement has focused on the
educational value of play, and efforts to restore
recess and unstructured playtime to early childhood
and elementary school curriculums. But advocates
are now starting to reach out to parents, recognizing
that for the movement to succeed, parental attitudes
must evolve as well — starting with a willingness
to tolerate a little more unpredictability in
children‘s schedules and a little less structure at
home. Building that fort, for example, probably
involves disassembling the sofa and emptying the
linen closet. (A sheet makes an excellent roof.)
―I think more than anything, adults are a little
fearful of children‘s play,‖ said Joan Almon,
executive director of the Alliance for Childhood, a
nonprofit pro-play group. ―Some people have a
greater tolerance for chaos and have developed a
hand for gently bringing it back into order. Others
get really nervous about it.‖ Megan Rosker, a
mother of three (ages 6, 3 and 2) in Redington
Shores, Fla., has learned to embrace the disorder.
She set aside the large sunroom in her home for the
children and filled it with blocks, games, crayons,
magazines to cut up and draw in, as well as toys
and dress-up clothes. ―I think a big part of free play
is having space to do it in, a space that isn‘t ruled
over by adults,‖ she said.
―The other key is not to instruct kids how to play
with something,‖ she said. ―I can‘t tell you how
many board-game pieces have been turned into
something else. But I let them do it because I figure
their imagination is more valuable than the price of
a board game.‖
The Ultimate Block Party play event in New York.
But, Ms. Rosker added, ―I won‘t claim any of this
has been easy for me or my husband,‖ noting that
her husband used to be ―a total neat freak.‖ She said
they have learned to live with disarray and to take
other difficult steps, like strict limits on screen time.
Ms. Rosker has also campaigned, although
unsuccessfully, to bring recess to her son‘s
elementary school. But school officials were too
worried about potential injuries, unruliness and
valuable time lost from academic pursuits to sign
on to her idea and, she was surprised to find, many
parents were similarly reluctant. ―They said: ‗I‘m
not going to sign that. I‘m sure there is a good
reason why this is good for our kids — our school
has good test scores.‘ ―
To try to reach more parents, a coalition called Play
for Tomorrow this fall staged what amounted to a
giant play date in Central Park. The event, known
as the Ultimate Block Party, featured games like I
Spy, mounds of Play-Doh, sidewalk chalk, building
blocks, puzzles and more. The National Science
Foundation was closely involved, advising
organizers — and emphasizing to parents — the
science and the educational value behind each of
the carefully chosen activities. Organizers were
hoping to attract 10,000 people to the event. They
got more than 50,000.
―We were overwhelmed,‖ said Roberta Golinkoff, a
developmental psychologist at the University of
Delaware and a founder of the event along with Dr.
Hirsh-Pasek. They are now working with other
cities — Toronto, Atlanta, Baltimore and Houston,
among them — to stage similar events, along with
making the Central Park gathering an annual one.
The goal, in some ways, is to return to the old days.
―When I was growing up, there was a culture of
childhood that children maintained,‖ said Jim
Hunn, vice president for mass action at KaBOOM,
33
a nonprofit group that is a leading voice in reducing
what it terms the ―play deficit.‖ He noted that he
learned games like Capture the Flag from other
children. To revive that culture, he said: ―Parents
have to reassert themselves in this process and
teach them how to play. It‘s critical that parents
take some ownership and get out and play with their
children.‖
But promoting play can be surprisingly challenging
to parents. Emily Paster, a mother of two in River
Forest, Ill., a Chicago suburb, tries to discourage
screen time and encourage her children to play
imaginatively. That usually works fine for her 7-
year-old daughter, who is happy to play in her room
with her dolls for hours. But her 4-year-old son is a
different story, especially in the cold weather when
he‘s cooped up.
―If he wants to play, he always wants me to play
with him,‖ Ms. Paster said. ―This child has a
million toys. Every kind of train you can imagine.
But he really wants a partner. If I‘m meant to get
anything accomplished — dinner, laundry, a phone
call — then it‘s really difficult.‖
Encouraging brother and sister to play together only
goes so far. ―It seems like there‘s a ticking time
bomb,‖ Ms. Paster said. ―Someone‘s going to
decide they‘re done before the other one‘s ready.‖
Sometimes, a video screen is the unwelcome but
necessary alternative.
―If I want to get anything done it‘s like, ‗Here‘s the
Leapster,‘ ― she admitted, referring to a Leapster
Explorer, a video-like device for preschoolers.
But once they‘re used to it, Mr. Hunn said, children
will direct their play themselves — a situation Ms.
Almon recalls from her own childhood. ―Our
neighborhood gang organized a lot of softball
games,‖ she said. ―There was no adult around. We
adjusted the rules as we needed them. Once the
adults are involved it becomes: Here are the rules,
and we have to follow these rules. It still can be a
good activity but stops being play.‖
In the vast world of organized children‘s sports, a
few parent-coaches are getting that hands-off
message. Ms. Almon knows of a soccer coach who
started allowing children to organize their own
scrimmages during practice while he stood silently
on the sidelines, and a hockey coach in Chicago
who ends practices by shooing all the adults off the
ice and letting the kids skate as they please.
There are more formal efforts, in addition to the
Ultimate Block Party initiatives. The US Play
Coalition, a group of doctors, educators and parks
and recreation officials, plans a conference next
month at Clemson University on the value of
outdoor play. KaBOOM has built 1,900
playgrounds across the country, most in low-
income neighborhoods, and in September helped
organize ―Play Days‖ in 1,600 communities. It also
has added do-it-yourself tools on its Web site to
help parents organize and create neighborhood play
spaces themselves. Another Web site scheduled to
start this spring, LearningResourceNetwork.net,
aims to create a broad educational source for
parents and teachers.
―Our first big push will be on play,‖ said Susan
Magsamen, the executive director of the group.
An important part of the movement is teaching
children themselves how to play. The average 3-
year-old can pick up an iPhone and expertly scroll
through the menu of apps, but how many 7-year-
olds can organize a kickball game with the
neighborhood kids?
Toward that end, at the Central Park event, parents
were given a 75-page ―Playbook‖ outlining
research on play and offering children ideas for
playful pursuits — things that generations past did
without prompting and that may evoke in today‘s
parents feelings of recognition and nostalgia.
―Climb on the couch with your friends and pretend
you are sailing on a ship to a distant land,‖ reads
one idea. Another, from the section on construction
play: ―Lay a toy on the floor and figure out how to
build a bridge going over the toy with blocks.‖
―Make paper doll cutouts from old newspapers and
magazines,‖ a third suggests, ―and let your
imagination fly!‖
34
Finding it hard…..
Membership issues?
Committee issues?
Fundraising ideas needed?
Librarian/employment issues?
Just want to chat with someone?
Then LET US KNOW….
the solution may just be around the corner….
We Would LOVE to help YOU
So contact the Office today! phone: 03 388 4793 or 0800-148-697
email: [email protected]
Share your news with the rest of us. Send your photos and
articles into the Office for inclusion.
Volunteer your Library as a venue for a Regional.
Check the website and forum regularly.
Use forum and market place areas on our website to ask
questions, advertise your fundraisers and buy/sell toys or parts.
2011 AGM and Regional Meeting in Nelson – love to see you
there on 9 July!
Start saving for Conference 2012 in Wellington.
Keep the Office informed of any changes of contact details by
completing and returning the database forms sent out in
Jan/Feb.
Subs will be due end of March/beginning of April. Invoices will
be sent, so please advise how many members you have.
35
Housekeeping
Operations Manual
The updated CD was sent to libraries in February. If you download it onto your toy library computer then you
will have it at your fingertips at all times, and the disk can then be stored somewhere safe. Remember to
often refer to it for help or ideas.
Have you sent in your Annual Return to the Charities Commission?
If your library has registered with the Charities Commission then you need to send in your Annual Return
within 3 months of your AGM. This return includes your financial report, along with any changes in
Committee. If you have change of Officers during the year, you should also file the changes.
Insurance:
175 Toy Libraries currently take part in the Insurance Scheme offered through the Federation.
We are pleased we could help many toy libraries save money and make insurance cover simple to arrange.
Toy Libraries can join the scheme at any time. Please contact the office on 0800-148-697 if you have any
queries. Toy Library Bulk Insurance cover runs from 1 August 2010 – 1 August 2011.
Funding Applications & Letters of Support: Remember to get your Funding Officer to check Fundview (free access through your local library databases)
for possible funding sources and closing dates in your area. Most of the main funding providers have their
own websites, so bookmark these and check them for close-off dates. Contact the Office if you would like a
letter of support for your funding applications.
Publicity Resources:
We have Publicity Kits, Banners, Tear Drop Flags, High Visibility Vests, and a Video Tape commercial
available from the Office for you to hire for your promotional events. For more details see the Resources
page on our Website or contact the Office.
Stationery:
We still stock a wide variety of stationery, labels, certificates, pens, posters and pamphlets. For more
details see the Resources page on our Website or contact the Office.
Toy Boxes:
Toy Boxes currently available for hire. A great way for small libraries to increase their toy stock. And a
Great way to have a change of toys to offer to your members! More details check out our website under the
Toy Library Resources pull down menu, or contact the Office.
Forum:
Find out and share information with other toy libraries – access through our website, www.toylibrary.co.nz
Make sure you check it regularly, and post your queries, hints or answer others.
Buy-Sell-Exchange:
All libraries, toy repairers & buyers especially, should try using this feature of our website. It‘s easy to put
your own ad onto the site whether it is for a piece you need, or something you no longer need.
Check this section of the webpage regularly to see if there is anything there of interest to your library.
36
NEWSLETTER CIRCULATION LIST
Date Received:
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NOTES OF INTEREST
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