The Toy Library is open every Saturday, with three members usually ‘on-duty’ from 8.45am – 11.15am at each session. Their responsibilities include:

• Opening and setting up the Toy Library
• Welcoming new members
• Recording borrowed toys in our system
• Checking and processing returned toys

‘On-duty’ members are expected to arrive 15 minutes before opening and stay 15 minutes after closing to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Members are required to complete an ‘on-duty’ shift approximately four times per year (once each quarter). 

Our Roster Secretary will send an email each quarter to advise when members can log into our system (MiBase) and select the shift that suits them. 

If a member cannot make their roster date, it is their responsibility to arrange a swap with another member. Members can nominate a family member to attend on their behalf or use our Private Facebook Group to ask other members to swap. Members are required to advise the Roster Secretary of all swaps they have organised by emailing toy_library@hotmail.com. 

The cost of membership is $80 or $50 for a reduced duration (up to 6 months). All memberships require a commitment to volunteering on a Saturday shift at the toy library four times per year and attend the annual stocktake and AGM. Memberships expire on 30 June or 31 December, depending on the date of registration. 

Members are required to attend the AGM in February. The meeting consists of an update from each committee member, an update on financials and election of incoming committee members. It’s also an opportunity to meet other members of the Toy Library! 

Non-attendance incurs a $20 non-attendance fine or the member must attend an additional roster duty.

Each year over a weekend in August, the toy library undertakes a stocktake of all items.  Members are required to attend a two hour session on either the Saturday or Sunday between 9:00 am and 5:00 pm.  All items are cleaned, labels are checked and re-printed if necessary, broken toys are repaired, and old toys are taken out of circulation.

Non-attendance incurs a $20 non-attendance fine or the member must attend an additional roster duty.

Once a member has been part of the Toy Library for over 6months, they can be trained as a ‘Member-in-Charge (MIC)’. There is always a MIC on-duty for each Toy Library shift. 

The MIC has received extra training and has completed at least two shifts at the Toy Library. They have the ability to message other MICs and ask questions if needed. Everyone is always very helpful and willing to support each other.

Members who are keen to contribute more to Whitfords Toy Library, can join our committee. We have a variety of roles to which members are elected at our Annual General Meeting which is held each February. 

It’s each member’s responsibility to return cleaned and dry toys.

• Members are responsible for checking their toys at home to ensure there are no broken pieces.
• If the member notices that a toy is broken, they should email toy_library@hotmail.com to let us know within 48 hours of borrowing the toy so they will not be charged for broken pieces.
• On returning the toy to the Library, members should advise an ‘on-duty’ member when if there are any issues with the toy, for example if it has a broken piece or if it is faulty, so it can be set aside to be repaired.
• If the toy is battery operated, members are not required to provide new batteries for the toy.  
• It is the member’s responsibility to look after the toy library’s toys as if they were their own.  
• If there is damage to the toy (or packaging), please advise a member on duty when returning the toy of the damage, so that the toy is set aside for the Toy Repairer.  If minor repairs are all that is needed, appropriate glues are available at the toy library and repairs can be done by the member returning the toy or a member on duty.  
• Please note that if the damaged piece/part is expensive or crucial to the toy and cannot be fixed, the Toy Repairer/Committee will determine if the member has to pay replacement costs.

• Members are responsible for counting their toys at home to ensure the number of pieces matches the number of pieces as listed on the box.
• If the member notices that a piece is missing, they should email toy_library@hotmail.com to let us know within 48 hours of borrowing the toy so they will not be charged for missing or broken pieces.
• When returning a toy, the Member ‘on-duty’ will check that the number of pieces corresponds with the number on the toy label.
• On returning the toy, if it is found that a piece of a toy is missing, the toy can be re-borrowed for one week to see if the piece can be found.
• If the member cannot find the piece after re-borrowing, they can replace the missing piece themselves, provided that the replacement is an equivalent and suitable substitute.  In addition, the toy library has a spare parts box where an appropriate replacement may be found.  Otherwise there is a fine of $3.00 per piece.
• Please note that if a piece/part is expensive or crucial to the toy, the Toy Repairer/Committee will determine if the member has to pay replacement costs.
• If the member finds and returns the piece, the fine is refunded.