Newsletter nº 2 (2011)

THE PURPOSES OF ETL ARE:

• To disseminate the concept of

toy libraries as a means of

bringing play and play mate-

rials to people.

• To serve as a link between

national toy library organiza-

tions, providing opportunities

for international exchange of

ideas and materials.

• To maintain a liaison with

other organizations and asso-

ciations pertaining to devel-

opmental and social issues,

health, education and play.

• To organize common presen-

tations at international events

such as the International

Conferences organized by the

International Toy Library

Association.

• To cooperate with organiza-

tions having similar goals.

Brussels 2011

ETL HISTORY AND MEMBERS

The Group of European Toy Libraries (ETL) was founded in 1996 during the

7th International Conference on Toy Libraries in Zurich (Switzerland).

Since 1996, regular meetings have been held and in 2011 Brussels organized

the annual meeting.

The European Group is an informal group. We are committed to the beliefs

that play, playthings and playful interaction are essential to optimal education,

physical, psychological, social and cultural development.

The members of ETL are National Associations of Toy Libraries, play profes-

sionals and individuals interested in promoting play, from countries across

Europe:

Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Great Britain,

Greece, Cyprus, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal,

Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey.

The Group of European Toy Libraries is a section of the International Toy Libraries

Association of (ITLA) and works in close co-operation with ITLA.

ITLA is a non-profit making international organization consisting of national toy

library associations, institutions and individual members.

One of the main goals of ITLA is the encouragement of co-operation between the

different national organizations.

Toy libraries provide resources for play, including toys, games, trained

staff and dedicated space.

ETL’S DEFINITION OF A TOY LIBRARY

6500 Toy Libraries in Europe

Group present at the meeting in Brussels, 2011

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ETL MEETING—BRUSSELS, APRIL 2011

WORKING STANDARDS

The group discussed the draft document that came from Lisbon’s meeting and added

some new information, namely in the section regarding “Rational and Legal Frame-

work” that all agreed should start with ETL's definition of toy library and clearly state

their mission:

Toy libraries have the mission...

1- To defend the idea that leisure, as part of Human Rights (art. 24), includes the

right to play.

2- To defend the Right to Play (art. 31 CRC) recognizing it as essential in the overall

development of children;

Article 31 CRC

1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and

recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cul-

tural life and the arts.

2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cul-

tural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal oppor-

tunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.

3 - To promote and recognize the pedagogical, educational and socio-cultural role

that play has for society and individuals all lifelong;

4 - To raise awareness among institutions and the community about the importance

of informal/free play and to favor autonomy by free choice;

5 - To nurture the relationships between children and their parents or carers through

playing together.

The full work regarding Policy and Management, Management Tasks and Toy Librar-

ian and Volunteer Tasks will be edited in the near future, but ETL’s Co-ordinator

suggested that we should consider the preparation of a global document composed by

the competencies that were worked out, the quality charter and a training program.

“The Right to Play is for Children (UNCRC Art. 31) but also for Adults, as stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights”

PARTICIPANTS:

• Belgium

• Spain

• France

• Greece

• Italy

• Luxemburg

• Netherlands

• Portugal

• Switzerland

• Turkey

• UK

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WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE TOY LIBRARIES’

RECOGNITION

ETL’s members think that first there should be an official recognition and

then disseminate the concept of Toy libraries to the general public but, unfortu-

nately, it works the other way around. Toy libraries have to make their own mar-

keting near the public and when it is well known in the community you get politi-

cians' attention.

The members shared several successful strategies:

- Contacts with the media, e.g. game selection for newspapers and inviting

reporters to events;

- Celebration of the World Play Day, now a very well know event in most

countries, attended by several media reporters and by people who usually don’t

go to Toy libraries and become, with this activity, familiar with it;

- Special events, symposiums, conferences and exhibitions regarding Play and

Toy Libraries (e.g. "Game Week" in France, "Play Night" in Switzerland, “Week

of Toy libraries" in the Netherlands);

- Establishment of partnerships with the community (e.g. play stores);

- Edit newsletters and informational flyers for the public;

- Using new technologies to publicize Toy libraries (e.g. social networks);

- Join several national Toy libraries in the same event.

“Making the Toy Library a space well known in the community has proved to be an effective way to improve its recognition. ”

ETL will be present at ITLA Conference in October 2011.

This conference will have continental presentations, where ETL will be

participate, and this is one of the most valuable aspects of such conference:

sharing ideas, practices and knowledge between continents.

For the ETL’s presentation in the Conference, all the members agreed to:

• show the different toy libraries in Europe and how they work

(responsibility of the Play Activity Department from Portugal that

will make a video with the material sent out by ETL's members);

• refresh facts and figures of European toy libraries (the Co-ordinator

will update the abstract of the last conference with new figures);

• the work that has been achieved by ETL, namely regarding the com-

petencies;

• ETL's future work, namely the charter of quality and standards.

Also, some ETL members will make individual presentations regarding the

work in their countries.

12TH INTERNATIONAL TOY LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

CONFERENCE IN BRAZIL

During the meeting some actions for the future were agreed:

1. Charter/Standards of Quality—What should be interesting at European

level is to find what is common between the existing Charters from each

country (France, Great Britain, Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland)

and disseminate them in ETL’s future documentation;

2. European standards on classification of toys and games: some members

stated that they are always struggling with different visions on this matter

and would like to know how do Toy libraries from other countries work.

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ACTIONS FOR THE FUTURE

GETTING TO KNOW BRUSSELS...

NEXT MEETING:

Date: April 19th –20th 2012

Place: Istanbul, Turkey

© Child Support Institute, 2011

The annual meetings give also the participants an opportunity to become ac-

quainted with the reality of host country's Toy Libraries and the activities that

are being carried out regarding Play.

The members from Belgium organized visits to the exhibition “Games from here,

games from elsewhere”, promoted by HEB Defré Brussels High School, and to

the COCOF Toy Library that share its building with Brussels' Toy Museum.

ETL’s members met with the Toy Librarians that are responsible for this space so

to get to know their way of working and share practices and knowledge. These

are valuable moments to get to know in loco the day-to-day life of the profession-

als committed to the Right to Play and a special motivation for ETL's future

work.

“Sharing ideas from across European countries is very important and can help each one of us to improve toy libraries' recognition”