Frequently Asked Questions

Tuesday 9:30am - 11:00am

Thursday 3:00pm – 4:30pm

Saturday 9:30am – 12:00pm

Closed on public holidays and over summer holidays Dec/Jan (check Facebook for dates).

Email: northcotetoylibrary@gmail.com

Phone: 021-0268-3710（library open time only）

Location: 5a Akoranga Drive Northcote (behind the YMCA). To find us, turn into the YMCA car park and drive through the carpark and around to your left to go behind the YMCA building. There is another carpark there and you will see a smaller white building (North Harbour Table Tennis building), this is where the toy library is. There's usually plenty of undercover parking right outside the library door.

We are a non-profit community organization whose key objective is to provide good quality, well designed & appropriate toys for children to help them reach their full potential.

We have toys in the following categories:

•  Art item (A)
• Audio Book (B)
• Construction (C)
• Education (E)
• Game (G)
• Infant (I)
• Music (M)
• Outdoor toy (O)
• Puzzle (P)
• Role Play (R)
• Theme Play (T)

7 toys (1 big toy, 2 medium toys, 4 small ones) per family

We have a 21-day borrowing period. Late returns will incur a fine of $1 per toy per week. Toys will not be issued while there are overdue toys and/or fees/fines outstanding.

New committee members are always welcome. We’ll work with you to best use your skills. Helping as committee members not only gives you the good feeling of giving back, but also offers you the chance to help with the running of the Toy Library. Talk to the librarian or other committee members if you’re interested. Or just show up at our next committee meeting and see if we’d be a good fit for you.

Besides committee, we always welcome volunteers (don’t have to be a member) to help with one-off tasks as well! We are a great place to use your skills,  making new friends, getting local work experiences! Email/call or leave a message on Facebook if you’re interested!

As a non-profit organization, membership fees covers only a small percentage of our expenditures. We do rely on fundraising and local support to keep our operations up and running. This can be toy donations, monetary donations, service or product donations towards a raffle/ other event, or a sponsorship in return for marketing opportunities. If you would love to help us making a difference in our community please get in touch with us!

Choosing to join the Toy Library as a Duty Member ensures the continued smooth running of the Toy Library. A Duty Member is an important member of the Toy Library Team.

A Duty Member will be expected to complete 4 duties per year or 2 duties per half year- one each term. They fulfil their volunteering role by checking returned toys, keeping the library clean and tidy and helping the Librarian as needed on the day.

During a duty session you’ll be expected to:

• Arrive on time.
• Help set up the Toy Library ready for opening by opening the toy cupboards, organising the cupboards making the toys more accessible, moving big toys from the aisles of the outdoor area to make room for members to enter.
• Greet members returning toys.
• Write down the numbers of the returned toys (including both Category and number, such as T989, I656) and hand over to the librarian. The librarian will get the toys returned in our toy management system.
• Ask the returning members to stay in the library (they can choose new toys while waiting) until the returned toys been counted, and ask them to help to identify the pieces if needed.
• Check and count the returned toys, ensure they are clean, complete and the batteries work. Please count the toys by the contents of the label on packages instead of just count pieces. Please inform the librarian if there’s anything wrong about the label.
• If the toys are not retuned at a good level of cleanliness, ask the member to clean them.
• If there’s any missing or broken parts, please bring the toy to the librarian so the toy status can be updated in the system and inform the member to talk to the librarian as well, as a fine may be incurred. 
• Once checked and the toy is all good, put the toy back to the cupboard accordingly (the category alphabets are on the cupboards).
• At the end of the session, organising the cupboards and pack away the Toy Library.

Please inform the librarian if you are aware of any health and safety hazards during your duty.
If you would like to support us more you can choose additional roster duties or you can help regularly as a volunteer.

Thank you very much for your help.

The best way is to use internet banking. Our bank account details are:

Alternatively, you can pay the librarian in cash at a library session.