TAPANUI'S Toy Library is facing a situation of use it or lose it.
Toy Library president Annalie Downie said some unforeseen circumstances with the library's premises and a lack of people prepared to serve on the committee meant West Otago's only toy library would be forced to close its doors at the end of August.
‘‘It is unfortunate that we are going to have to vacate our premises. Our landlady has been fantastic, but sometimes there just is no choice.
‘‘Coupled with that, at our recent AGM, we effectively ended up with a committee of just two people.
‘‘Apart from the big workload that would put on the two of us, it isn't constitutionally sound either, so we needed to make a decision on the future of the toy library,'' Mrs Downie said.
Unless a solution was found, the end of August was the absolute deadline for the library, she said.
‘‘What we are asking is for the people of West Otago to decide if they really want a toy library in the town.
‘‘Maybe we have done our dash, but I think it would be a shame if we let it go. Once it's gone, there will be no getting it back.''
Mrs Downie said although the library, an incorporated society, had had a good membership in the past, she could see it starting to wane now as members' children grew up.
‘‘I know there are a lot of babies being born in the region, but perhaps we haven't been as good at explaining the idea of a toy library to people.
‘‘It really is just like a book library, except you loan toys to people.
‘‘I think people, who are buying toys, sometimes underestimate the wow factor of the toys they get for their kids.
‘‘With the toy library, you get that wow factor every time you borrow new toys - and all that for only $50 per year.''
She said although the library's annual subscriptions were due, the committee had decided not to send out notices to members, in light of
Continued Page 2 From Page 1
the possible closure.
‘‘I guess existing members could show their support by paying this year's subs, but really what we need is for the community to make a commitment to keeping the toy library going.
‘‘We need some ideas about a possible location, plus we need some real support from the community for the library.
‘‘It's up to them if they want it or not, but we are firm on the closing date unless some options emerge.''
Toy library member Joanne Clarke, of Tapanui, said she would be ‘‘quite disappointed'' if the library closed.
‘‘I use it regularly as I have two young children, one of whom is autistic.
‘‘It is very useful, especially in winter when the kids are stuck inside and they get bored easily.''
Mrs Clarke said it was great to have extra educational toys for her autistic son to look at and play with.
Mrs Downie said the library had had some ‘‘fantastic'' fundraisers in the past and some ‘‘excellent'' grants from various organisations.
‘‘We have lots of new toys plus money in the bank, so if we disband we will have to go through the process of finding out how the toys and funds would be dealt with.
‘‘If we move premises it will be the third move in two years for the library, so there would have to be some real, sustainable support for the toy library to do it,'' she said. - Anyone in the community with any feedback or ideas to help the toy library stay open is urged to contact Annalie Downie on (03) 204-8882.
