Eileen Braham, Playlink co-ordinator at All Saints' Children's Centre inChatham, Kent, which has a toy library, said, 'Money is an issue foreveryone. People are watching the pennies more as money gets tighter, sothey borrow toys instead.'
Toy libraries, introduced in the UK 41 years ago, may lend out anythingfrom board games and dressing-up outfits to puzzles, construction kitsand arts and crafts materials. As well as enabling children to haveaccess to a wider range of toys than they might have at home, they helpfamilies to save money. Recently libraries have shown a surge inpopularity.
Tim Bearcroft, acting chief executive of the National Association of Toy& Leisure Libraries, said, 'We assume the increasing number of peopleusing toy libraries is down to the current economic crisis.'
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