Toy Rescue Mission
Literacy Department
Training Procedure
1. Always check TLC (need Tender Loving Cleaning) boxes first thing to make sure the books in them are actually Firsts and ready for cleaning
2. Sorting the books
a. Firsts – these are what we keep for giving out. They should be as close to new as possible. This includes things that can be fixed.
i. If a note or “this book belongs to” in the front can be erased or covered with a label, then the book is still good. The same goes for other marks. However any writing or other marks that denote prior ownership that cannot be erased or are being obviously covered – e.g. stickers on random pages – will disqualify it.
ii. If a book is supposed to have CDs, stickers or other attached items and does not, it also needs to go elsewhere.
b. Seconds – these will go the United Way, daycare or other charities that come up.
i. These books are ok but not “new”. This also includes books that are not age or subject appropriate for our clientele.
c. Thirds – these are books with torn pages or covers, water damage etc. They will go to Thrift Management Recycling and put to one of their many purposes.
3. Once sorted, the Firsts will be placed in the TLC boxes to be cleaned. Seconds and Thirds will be placed in the appropriately labeled boxes and when those are full, they will be packed and the agency will be contacted for pickup.
4. Cleaning
a. There are cleaning materials such as regular spray, orange cleaner, a scraper and paper towels in the book room. If these are running low, please let the admin or someone else know so that more can obtained.
b. If a book cannot be fixed through gentle cleaning it becomes a second. This applies to the front cover and marks inside. Price tags must be removed from the front of the book, though they can remain on the back. Paperbacks and so forth need to have the front and back covers cleaned, as well having strategic stickers placed where necessary and possible. Board books need to have every page wiped down.
5. Sorting for shelving
a. Once cleaned, books need to be age sorted.
i. 0-4 – board books, Richard Scary, simple words for being read to
ii. 5-7 – beginning readers. Magic Treehouse, Junie B. Jones. These often are labeled on the back as to the reading level, which is a help.
iii. 8-11 – More words, fewer pictures, Boxcar Children, Babysitter’s Club, early Harry Potter
iv. 11-15 -- Teen romances, adventure stories, Harry Potter, Animorphs.
v. Educational can all be grouped together
vi. Religious also have their own section
vii. Holiday – Halloween, Christmas, Easter should be separated out and held for the programs for those periods.
b. Place them in copy paper or similar boxes with a label on the outside as to age and number. These go on the shelves in the back room up against the wall to the toy room. From there books can be shelved by anyone who notices a need in any given age group.
i. Other than religious and educational works, books should be shelved according to age group. The shelves are currently labeled and should be kept as neat and full as possible, but other than that, use your discretion to keep the display lively and interesting.
6. Drawing, colouring and other activity books.
a. These need to be gone through page by page to make sure puzzles aren’t done, pictures aren’t coloured and so forth. However, with these books it is often possible to tear out a few pages and leave the book looking like new.
i. Colouring books should be placed in an appropriately sized Ziploc bag with a 24-pack of crayons. If the book is small, a relevant toy can also be placed in the bag like a book buddy.
ii. Drawing and activity books should also be placed in a Ziploc bag, with pencils – coloured, regular or both as appropriate to the subject – and sharpener. Several sheets of the coloured paper on the shelves in the book room can also be provided if relevant.
7. Sometimes we get donations of First Editions. If these have covers and are in First condition, they are to be set aside for sale or other options.
8. We also often get very small – 3 x 5ish – books. These can be placed for book buddies or other special events.
9. Book buddies. These need to be firsts, but otherwise your own discretion can be used if you feel there are books that would be good for this purpose.
10. Play and say books. These need to be checked to make sure they work, then cleaned and the working batteries attached to the exterior as they are for other electronic toys. These are almost always going to be shelved in the 0-4 section.
11. Getting donations. Aside from drop-offs, we have agencies like Thrift Management Recycling and Half-Price Books who provide books and can sometimes be contacted to provide age-range volumes if we are having a shortage.
a. I haven’t done this myself, so you either need to work with Barb or dive in and see if you can find the right contact person through the numbers on her board.
Created 9/6/10
By Julia Kelso
