Quality Standard 5.4
Encourage users involvement and volunteering
Volunteers are vital to the success of toy libraries. Even where paid staff are involved, volunteers add value by bringing community connection, skills, and energy. Volunteering helps people build confidence, learn new skills, and feel part of their community. Toy libraries thrive when members are actively involved. This includes welcoming volunteers, offering flexible roles to suit different interests and availability, providing clear induction and training, and regularly recognising contributions. Supporting volunteers to grow skills and confidence helps keep toy libraries community-led, sustainable, and enriched by many people working together.
Most toy libraries could not run without volunteers, but even if you have paid staff, toy libraries are
richer for the involvement of volunteers. Volunteering provides opportunities for people to make
connections, gain confidence and learn new skills, as well as make a contribution to their
community.
Toy libraries thrive when users are active participants.
This standard focuses on:
Welcoming and encouraging members and community members to volunteer.
Offering a variety of volunteering options to suit different skills, interests, and availability.
Providing clear induction or training so volunteers feel confident.
Recognising and thanking volunteers regularly.
Supporting volunteers to build skills, confidence, and pathways into further education or employment.
This ensures the toy library remains community-led, sustainable, and enriched by the contributions of many.
Examples
Create a volunteer task menu (e.g., cleaning toys, repairing puzzles, helping at sessions, social media support).
Provide a simple volunteer induction and a welcome pack.
Regularly thank volunteers through social media, newsletters, or an annual celebration.
Offer flexible options: at-home volunteering, one-off events, or ongoing roles.
Share stories of volunteers who gained confidence, skills, or new opportunities through the toy library.
Useful links
Volunteering Australia: https://www.volunteeringaustralia.org
Go Volunteer – find volunteers: https://govolunteer.com.au
Seek Volunteer: https://www.volunteer.com.au
Further learning by TLA now available on the Learning Centre
Community volunteers - recruitment and management (self paced course)
Community volunteers in your toy library (Recorded Oct 2024, 45minutes)