Bigger and Better - New Space Opens for Toy Library!

Published Lakes News August 2022

The Brisbane South Toy Library has moved to a larger space within the Richlands Community Centre (Kyabra Community Association) to accommodate its growing toy collection and workshop.

The toy library is run wholly by volunteers who undertook the mammoth effort to fit-out the new library space and move the toy collection over just a few weeks. 

There is growing demand for the toy library, which operates in a similar way to a conventional library. Happily though, you don’t need to worry about the librarians asking you to be quiet at this library, play is definitely encouraged, even the noisy kind!

“Kids are welcome to try out toys in the library before they take them home. It’s also a great way to connect with other families”, says Brisbane South Toy Library President Adelle Suitor.

The new space will also accommodate the youngest of members, with a dedicated play area to be established for babies and toddlers next week. 

Suitor says it’s also a great way to reduce waste. “There are around 27 million toys thrown out every year in Australia, and many of our members tell us they join for environmental reasons. Families have the benefit of accessing a variety of high quality toys, but with a lighter environmental footprint.” 

And a lighter financial footprint. 

Members are entitled to borrow up to six toys every four weeks and, using the online portal, are able to track their “savings” based on the retail price of the toy. This can amount to thousands of dollars in savings over a year. 

According to member and volunteer Leonie Holmes, the library also helps combat toy clutter. “We rotate our toys in our home to make sure there’s lots of variety but that they don’t take over the house, so joining the toy library was a no-brainer for us.”

The Brisbane South Toy Library is located at 75 Old Progress Road, Richlands and is welcoming new members and volunteers.