Frequently asked questions
Do you have a question and can't find an answer? We've answered some of the most common questions below but if you can't find an answer here please get in touch through the contact form at the bottom of this page.
Unfortunately there is not enough space to play or trial toys in the toy library. For safety reasons, the toy library is a space for families to borrow toys to take home to play with and enjoy.
We ask all members not to ride inside the toy library or open tubs of toys to help keep all our visitors safe.
During peak periods we may need to ask members to limit their visit to 15 minutes and assist them to choose their toys.
However the foyer is a large area with tables and chairs open to the public just outside our front door! All members are welcome to use this area to socialise with friends, meet other members and play at the tables while being considerate of it being a shared space. The alfresco area outside the glass sliding doors is also a safe space to try out our ride on toys with adult supervision.
All membership levels include up to 1 visit per week.
Most members visit once every 2 to 3 weeks.
Just take the toys you would like to borrow to the main desk and a staff member will add the toys to your account.
Please feel welcome to use the grey trolley near the entry. You can push it around the toy library with you or our staff can add toys to the trolley as you choose them.
Our loan period is 4 weeks and our renewal period is 4 weeks.
If a piece is missing from a toy please email us to let us know at hello@canterburytoylibrary.com.au so we can note the piece was missing before you borrowed it.
Weekdays
All toys are returned to the main desk. Please place the toys in a neat pile on the desk and large items on the floor next to the desk.
Saturdays
9.30 to 11.45am - All toys are returned to the table in the MCH waiting room marked with the sign 'Toy Returns'. Please place all toys in a neat pile on the table and large items on the floor next to the table.
After 11.45am - All toys are returned to the main desk in the toy library. Please place all toys in a neat pile on the desk and large items on the floor next to the desk.
We ask all members to renew their toys with missing pieces. If after renewing the toy for 4 weeks the pieces haven't turned up, please return them with missing pieces and let a staff member know that you have looked for them.
We find that if missing pieces haven't turned up after a good search they are often found within 30 days. We don't have the space to store toys with missing pieces so it is our policy to renew your toys to give the pieces time to show up at home before you return them.
If you've renewed your toys once before discovering the missing pieces please get in touch by email and we can extend your toys for you.
We treat all packaging as one of the toy 'pieces' so the process for missing packaging is the same as our policy for missing pieces. If you consider the packaging lost forever most packaging is charged at $5 per piece to help us replace it and $8.50 for the custom mesh bags.
It is a requirement of membership that all toys are cleaned by members before they are returned to the toy library. While we often wipe toys down to remove dust picked up in transit each member should clean each toy and its packaging thoroughly before return.
Yes, we offer gift certificates for any amount so you can gift it to a current or new member to the toy library.
We treat each circumstance of lost or broken toys individually as the circumstances behind each toy is always different.
If you have lost or broken a toy please get in touch by email. We are always happy to work together or in cases of no other options we can advise the replacement cost.
We always welcome the donation of quality toys in good condition. If you have toys to donate please get in touch by email with a photo of the toys and we can let you know if we have room in the toy library for a new addition.
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Please ensure donated toys are:
in good working condition
durable and easy to clean (no soft toys or dolls)
purchased in Australia and are a known name brand
no button batteries, soft toys or dolls
easy to transport in a car
complete with all pieces (we sometimes accept individual pieces such as Fisher Price Little People, ELC figurines, Duplo etc where we can use them with our existing sets)
less than 20 years old, safety standards have changed a lot over the years!
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Once confirmed by email donated toys can be dropped off during our regular opening hours.
Our memberships are considered to be for 1 household to help keep track of the location of our toys and their pieces.
From time to time we offer stay and play sessions which are events where members are invited to come to play with our toys and an opportunity to meet other members.
These are usually held in a room outside of the toy library due to space constraints and often supported by grant funding.
If you are interested in volunteering to organise a stay and play session in the outdoors alfresco area on a Saturday morning please get in touch. We are only able to offer stay and play sessions with volunteer support.
Our volunteer committee of management is always looking for more help. If you would like to get more involved please get in touch for more information.
We're always looking for new sponsors and corporate partners to help us support our community.
Through our community partnerships program, we work hand in hand with businesses that share our vision and values to create sustainable change. If you're interested in partnering with us please get in touch.
Yes! All donations are tax-deductible and are used to buy new toys for the toy library.
To donate go to https://givenow.com.au/toylibraries and note Canterbury Toy Library as the toy library you would like your donation to go to.
We have a small collection of licensed toys that changes with our members interests. While the majority of the collection is focused on toys that don't feature licensed characters we do have a small selection of toys featuring Paw Patrol, Peppa Pig, Thomas & Friends and Octonauts.
Our policy is that we don't charge late fees on return of the toys.
In exceptional circumstances where toys remain overdue without communication members are invoiced the full replacement cost of the toys.
We do not offer refunds for returning missing pieces that you have paid a fine for.
As we allow a 4 week renewal for you to find the piece and work with you before issuing fines to determine if the piece is lost forever or might turn up we consider missing piece fines final at the time of payment.
Canterbury Toy Library doesn't currently have a phone number.
We correspond with members by email and are contactable Monday to Saturday including after hours. You will always receive a response within 24 hours of your email. If you don't have a response in your inbox please check your spam folder.
Unfortunately our click and collect service is temporarily unavailable but we hope to bring it back soon. Click and collect appointments are added each week on Saturday afternoons for the following week.
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To book your click and collect appointment: 1. Log into your account 2. Select Click and Collect from the green menu on the left hand side 3. Select the date and session time you would like to collect your toys. 4. Choose the toys you would like to borrow. We recommend searching the toy catalogue using the toy picture view where you can filter by category, attributes or search terms. 5. Remember to confirm your click and collect basket! Unconfirmed baskets are automatically deleted before we open each day.
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Terms & Conditions
Repeated non collection of orders without notice may result in future click and collect sessions being cancelled.
If you can't make it during your appointment time on the day of collection please email us as soon as possible to let us know.
If you add an item to your basket while the toy library is open and it is physically selected in the toy library the person choosing in person will have priority and the item will be removed from your order.