It is no secret that I love the Monroe County Public Libraries. Each one offers unique services and resources to meet the needs of the community, and the Lincoln Branch Library with its Toy Library is no exception. The location was closed in August 2022 to make way for renovations. It just reopened so we went to check it out and see what it has to offer. We found that there were great resources in both English and Spanish, and the majority of the library space is geared toward serving children and youth. The renovations focused on creating a safe space making books and toys available to patrons during all open library hours. With a great new layout and friendly, welcoming staff members, we had a fun time exploring the new spaces.
Location & Hours
The Lincoln Branch Library is a part of the Rochester Public Library System and is located on the corner of Avenue D and Joseph Ave at 851 Joseph Ave, Rochester, NY 14621.
The Lincoln Branch and Toy Library are now open the same hours. They are open for a few hours on Saturdays and are closed on Sundays. Here are their current hours:
Sunday – Closed
Monday – 10:00am – 6:00pm
Tuesday – 10:00am – 6:00pm
Wednesday – 10:00am – 6:00pm
Thursday – 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Friday – 12:00pm – 6:00pm
Saturday – 12:00pm – 4:00pm
Parking
There is a small parking lot available in front of the building (facing Joseph) that has easily accessible spots and a place for bicycles. To further serve patrons, the library bought the lots across Avenue D, where 35 additional parking spots are located.
Public Transportation
RTS has a stop just across the street at the corner of Joseph Ave and Avenue D.
The Entrance
The main entrance to the Lincoln Branch Library faces Joseph Ave. It is handicap accessible with automatic doors with wave sensors. When we entered the building, the librarians at the front circulation desk were quick to greet us and guide us to the children’s area.
Children’s Area/Toy Library
The children’s area was easy to find, as it was straight ahead once we entered the library. There are a separate set of doors to the area which help contain the children and welcomed noise that comes with play. The open and inviting space was clean and had easy visibility to most areas, allowing families with a range of ages to experience the space together.
The large children’s space was split into several areas:
- Teen Spot
- Computers
- Lounge
- Books
- Children’s Area
- Board Book/Small Child play area
- Computers
- Books
- Class/Program Space
- Toy Library
- Large Motor Play
- Boardgame Table
- Boardgames
- Puzzles
- Themed Play Nooks (kitchen, building, cars and trucks, large motor, dress-up, education, etc.)
- Toys and sets to borrow
We signed in at the circulation desk and easily spent two hours playing with the huge variety of toys geared towards newborns to 8-year-olds. We could have stayed for much longer. At the end of our time, my daughter chose to borrow a backpack with an If You Give a Mouse a Cookie theme.
There are so many ways to utilize the Toy Library. The library not only encourages families to use the space, but also wants teachers, therapists, and other service providers to borrow the toys to support the community. The items can be checked out for 3 weeks and returned to any library in the Monroe County Library System. And, as a bonus, all of the Rochester Public Libraries (city branches) have gotten rid of late fees.
Examples of toys available at the Toy Library
- Educational Toys
- Book and stuffed animal kits
- Themed “Play and Learn” Backpacks
- Science Kits
- Phonics Kits
- Manipulative Sets
- Instruments (basic)
- Snap Circuits
- Large Motor Toys
- Slides
- Ride-on toys
- Sleds
- Hula Hoops
- Scooter Boards
- Wobble Boards
- Pretend Play Toys
- Costumes
- Kitchen Sets
- Doll Houses
- Construction Vehicles
- Trains
- Puppets
- Building Toys
- Lincoln Logs
- Wooden Blocks
- Duplo Legos
- Mega Bloks
- K’Nex
- Tinker Toys
- Tabletop Toys
- Board Games
- Puzzles
Additional Information
If you cannot get to the Toy Library in person, you can place a hold online and have many of the toys delivered right to your local library. Items borrowed from the Toy Library can be returned to any library in the Monroe County Library System for your convenience.
- To peruse the Toy Library online:
- Go to: https://libraryweb.org
- Type in Search Bar: Toy Library Collection
- To Search for a specific toy:
- Go to: https://libraryweb.org
- Type in Search Bar: the name of a toy or game
- Go to the Filters on left-hand side, choose “Collection” and go to “TOY”
The Lincoln Branch Library integrates great programs for groups with their literature and toys. If you are interested in bringing a group, you can call and a librarian will create a personalized program just for your group!
The Toy Library accepts toy donations from the community. Please call them ahead of time to double-check that they have the space for your donations. Financial donations are also accepted.
