Toy Libraries
Building and Planning for Sustainment
Prepared by:
Courtney Joris, Hons. BA, MLIS
Southern Alberta Library Conference
March 20, 2015
Agenda
1.
2.
3.
4.
Background
Introduction to Toy Libraries
Toy Libraries and Public Library Services
Developing a Toy Library
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Collection Planning
Toy Selection
Acquisition
Organization and Classification
Awareness and Promotion
Sustainment
5. Conclusions and Questions
Background
Coaldale Public Library
- Toy Library Revitalization Project
o Toy Library first opened in January 2005
o Revitalization Project took place from (roughly)
May to Sept. 2014
o Goals: purchase new toys, create new labels,
create a print and/or digital catalogue
Introduction to Toy Libraries
Intro to Toy Libraries: Origins
• First Toy Library
– Los Angeles, 1935
– Response to Great Depression
• Movement took off
1960s/70s
• Play opportunities regardless
of ability or financial resources
Some of the first toy library items,
1935
“WPA: Toy Repair Projects” by U.S
National Archives
CC BY 2.0
Toy Libraries in Canada
• Canada’s first toy library opened in 1975,
followed by the Canadian Association of Toy
Libraries (CATL)
• Joanna von Levetzow’s vision of toy libraries:
“community places, drop-in centres for children and
their families and a place for new Canadians or new
parents to meet and improve their own and their
children’s lives through greater access to and
understanding of play”
Common Models
• FRPs: Family Resource Programs
– Parent Link Centres
• “Indie” Toy Libraries
– Operated by groups of parent-volunteers
• Third sector, NGO-run toy libraries
– Example, In2Play a UK-based play advocacy org.
with a ToyBus
Toy Libraries and Public Library
Services
Getting into the returns by
Virginia Beach Public Library
CC BY 2.0
Challenges
• Challenges in circulation and maintenance
• Belief that toys and play distract from reading
(held by some)
– Columbus Metropolitan Public Library, 1993
Benefits
Benefits to Patrons
• Take toys for a test-run
• Teaches responsibility
• Access for those on
tighter budgets;
removes economic
barriers
• Access to specialty,
adaptive toys
• Access to costly baby
equipment
Benefits to Libraries
• Programming
inspiration or
reinvigoration
• Strengthen
Relationships with
other orgs.
• Fosters a love of the
library in children
Connections
• Symbolic Play and Literacy Development are closely linked
• Library Mission/Values:
– supporting early literacy
– Library Bill of Rights: access to ideas, information, enlightenment
• Provision of toys and play is a natural extension of these
values
• Toys = Diverse Play Opportunities = Early Literacy Support
A final thought on connections…
“Play develops the foundation of intellectual,
social, physical, and emotional skills necessary
for success in school and in life; it paves the way
for learning…”
Developing a Toy Library
“1976 Little Construction Vehicles “by JD HancockCC BY 2.0
Developing a Toy Library
1.Collection Planning
• Understanding Needs
• Determining Scope
• Developing Goals
Collection Planning
• Understanding Needs/Interests
– Community input: asking patrons and residents
– Existing services and organizations: compliment
rather than compete with
– People in the know: early childhood educators,
teachers, library staff, volunteers
Collection Planning
• Determining Scope
• What do you want your toy library to look like
– in terms of the type of toys, the size of the collection?
• Who will it cater to
– in terms of age, ability?
• What won’t it include? What’s “out of scope”?
Collection Planning
• Developing Goals
– “I want our toy library to….”
– Linked to your needs and scope
Developing a Toy Library
1.Collection Planning
2.Selection
• Develop Selection Guidelines
• Learn about play preferences
• Look to ratings, reviews, rankings
• Build a wish-list
• Create a budget
Toy Selection
Develop Toy Selection Guidelines
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Appeal
Durability and Quality
Maintenance
Safety
Creative Play and Diversity
Toy Selection
Additional factors:
1. Public demand and positive reviews
2. Circulation in member libraries
3. Price and availability of funding
Toy Selection
• Research about play preferences for each age/
stage of development
– U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CSPC)
Age Determination Guidelines
– Early Childhood Learning Knowledge Centre
(Canadian Council on Learning)
– The American Journal of Play – open access 
Toy Selection
• Ratings, reviews, rankings of the year’s best
toys from authoritative sources
– Consumer Reports
– Canadian Toy Testing Council
– Customer Reviews on retailer and manufacturer
websites
– Toy Retailer Gift Guides
Toy Selection
• Build a wish-list
• Create a budget
– Leave wiggle-room
for new discoveries
Developing a Toy Library
1. Collection Planning
2. Selection
3. Acquisition (Toy Shopping!)
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Tips
Sources
Brands
Adaptive and Adaptable toys
Acquisition
• Start early and shop “widely”
• Take advantage of bargains
– Scholar’s Choice and other educational stores –
10-20% discount for teachers and
librarians/libraries
– Consignment stores for larger, gently-used items
Acquisition
• Brick and mortar:
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Monkey Mountain (Okotoks)
Mastermind Toys (Calgary)
Discovery Hut (Calgary)
Fantaztic Learning (Lethbridge)
Forever Toys (Cross Iron Mills, Calgary)
That Kids Store (formerly New2U Kids) (Lethbridge)
• Online retailers – Amazon, Fat Brain Toys
• Classroom catalogues – Scholastic, Wintergreen
• Discovery Toys- a direct-sales company
Acquisition
Some brands to consider:
– Bruder
– Hape
– TOMY
– Le Toy Van
Acquisition
• Adaptive Toys
• Sources:
– Enabling Devices- specializes in
adaptive toys
– Fat Brain Toys- lists adaptive toys
Enabling Devices’ VI Shapes
Puzzle with Braille
• Tips:
– Retain funds for future purchases
based on patron request
– Consider versatile, adaptable toys
– Guide to adaptable toys
Jr. Tangle Classic, from Child
TherapyToys
Developing a Toy Library
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4.
Collection Planning
Selection
Acquisition
Classification and Organization
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Classification Systems
Labelling
Cataloguing
Organizing Materials
Storing Materials
Classification and Organization
Toy Classification System
– Is it easy for patrons to use and navigate?
Lego Librarian by Musgo
Dumio_Momio CC BY 2.0
Classification and Organization
The ESAR System
Excercises/Symboliques
/Assemblages/Règles
Simple
The British ABC System
Activity
Baby/Beginner
Co-ordination
Discrimination
Expression
Fun
Games
Jigsaws
Classification and Organization
• Classify by age groupings:
– 0-12 mos
– 12-24 mos.
– 2-4 years
– 4-8 years
– 8+ years
• Simple numbering system
Classification and Organization
Red: Art and Music
Orange: Building
Yellow: Wheels
Green: Sport/Activity
Blue: Literacy/Numeracy/Science/Skills (Learning)
Deep Blue/Indigo: Puzzles and Games
Violet: Baby Toys
Magenta/Pink: Pretending
Aquamarine: Figures and Play sets
Grey: Baby Gear
Classification and Organization
Classification and Organization
Anatomy of a label (2-sided):
Toy name
Number of pieces/
List of all pieces
Recommended Age
Category
ID#
Special
features/characteristics
FRONT
BACK
Classification and Organization
Cataloguing
• Print:
– Great for in-library browsing
– Some routes to take:
• Microsoft Word document
• Scrapbook-style - transfer information from your labels
into a book
• Microsoft Publisher document linked to Excel
spreadsheet
Classification and Organization
Classification and Organization
Cataloguing
• Digital:
– Integrate images with
existing OPAC records
• Need to host images
online, embed link in
MARC record
– Consider software,
such as Libratu (toy
library management
software)
Classification and Organization
Organizing and Storing
Materials
Classification and Organization
Storing Materials – Additional Options
Plastic Kit Bags
Cloth bags
Plastic bins
Developing a Toy Library
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2.
3.
4.
5.
Collection Planning
Selection
Acquisition
Classification and Organization
Awareness and Promotion
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Announcing Toy Library
Grand Opening
Ongoing Promotion
Awareness and Promotion
• Announcing your toy library:
– Local media
• newspapers, newsletters
– Library’s social media, website
– Print information
• brochures, info. sheets made available in library and
other community spaces
– Talk to people:
• community leaders, partners, and those who have
helped along the way
Awareness and Promotion
• Host a Grand Opening Event – promote, promote, promote!
• Some considerations:
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Invitees
Program
Activities
Refreshments
Prizes
Music and Decorations
Coaldale Library’s Grand Re-opening
Awareness and Promotion
• Ongoing Promotion
– Tie into a themed display
– Incorporate building toys into programming
– Host a library event centred around play
• ParticipAction’s “Longest Day of Play” (June 21)
Developing a Toy Library
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Collection Planning
Selection
Acquisition
Classification and Organization
Awareness and Promotion
Sustainment
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Challenges
Policies
Procedures
Collection Management Strategies
Sustainment
• Challenges to sustainment:
– More involved check-in process
– Missing pieces, damaged pieces
– Higher-maintenance
…this is where a good
Policy and Procedures Manual comes in!
Sustainment
• Procedures
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Check in, Check out
Missing piece, damaged toy
Label creation
How to update catalogue
• Additional documents
– Guidelines for fine amounts
– Recipes for cleaning solutions or recommended
cleaning products
– Master list of locations for important documents and
materials for collection management
Sustainment
• Policies
– Visiting policy
• Informs patrons of expectations in terms of behaviour
– Borrowing policy
• Establishes set lending periods, fine amounts for late
toys and expectations for returning toys
– Collection development
• Protects intellectual freedom, protects collection from
challenges
• Passes important knowledge onto future toy librarians
Sustainment
Collection Management Strategies:
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Keeping spare parts/extra pieces
Keeping track of changes to a toy
Have equipment on hand
Keeping track of cleaning/repair needs
Schedule collection maintenance
Conclusions
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Collection Planning – needs, scope, goals
Toy Selection – have guidelines, dig for information
Acquisition – start early, shop widely
Organization and Classification – consider
accessibility and visibility
Awareness and Promotion– host an opening, involve
toys in displays, programs, future events
Sustainment– policies, procedures, collection
management strategies
Involve others, get creative, and have fun!
Questions? Comments?
“Stormtrooper Garden Party” by clement127 CC BY 2.0
Contact me: Courtney Joris courtneym.joris@gmail.com
References
ALA Council. (1996). Library Bill of Rights. Retrieved from
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/intfreedom/librarybill/lbor.pdf
Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs. (1995). The Canadian toy library handbook,
Part 1. Ottawa, ON: The Canadian Association of Family Resource Programs.
Dominguez, A., Ziviani, J. & Rodger, S. (2006) Play behaviours and object preferences of young
children with autistic disorder in a clinical play environment. Autism 10(1), 53-68.
FRP Canada. About us. Retrieved from
http://www.frp.ca/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=1241.
Hektoen, F. & Rinehart, J. (Eds.). (1975). Toys to go: A guide to the use of realia in public libraries.
Stamford, Connecticut: Connecticut Realia Committee.
Hewes,P.J. (2006). Let the children play: Nature’s answer to early learning. Early Childhood
Learning Knowledge Centre. Retrieved from http://www.cclcca.ca/pdfs/ECLKC/lessons/Originalversion_LessonsinLearning.pdf
International Toy Library Association (ITLA). About toy libraries. Retrieved from http://www.itlatoylibraries.org/pages/toy_libraries/.
References cont’d.
Moore, J.E. (1995). A history of toy lending libraries in the United States since 1935 (Doctoral
dissertation). Retrieved from ERIC, http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED390414.pdf/.
Nicholson, S. (2013). Playing in the past: A history of games, toys, and puzzles in North American
libraries. The Library Quarterly, 83(4), 341-361.
http://scottnicholson.com/pubs/playinginthepast.pdf
The Strong National Museum of Play. The American Journal of Play. Retrieved from
http://www.journalofplay.org/.
Therrell, J.A. (2002). Age determination guidelines: Relating children’s ages to toy characteristics
and play behaviour. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Retrieved from
http://www.cpsc.gov//PageFiles/113962/adg.pdf
Western Australian Association of Toy Libraries (WAATL). (2010). A guide to starting and running a
community-based toy library. Retrieved from http://www.toylibrary.asn.au/downloads/Manualsetting-up-and-running-a-toy-library.pdf.
Additional Image Sources
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Slide 26:
– “VI Puzzle with Braille.” Retrieved from Enabling Devices
http://enablingdevices.com/catalog/toys_for_disabled_children/blocks-puzzles/vishapes-puzzle-with-braille
– “Jr. Tangle Classic” Retrieved from Childtherapytoys.com
http://www.childtherapytoys.com/store/product9255.html
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Slide 35 (left to right):
– Home Ec Project #2 by Nancy L. Stockdale CC BY 2.0
– Reading Rainbow Bags by anneheathen CC BY 2.0
– Fabric Stash by Camille Turcotte CC BY 2.0
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Slides 43 and 44 from Coaldale Public Library Facebook Page