Discovery Boxes

Whether you’re a teacher or a parent, you can take advantage of a terrific educational resource courtesy of your Toledo Zoo! The Zoo’s Discovery Boxes contain books, activities, posters and games that bring the wonders of nature right to your classroom or living room. Each Discovery Box is aligned to Ohio’s Academic Standards, making them as educational as they are engaging. And the Zoo now has a special offer that lets you use these Discovery Boxes free of charge. To reserve a Discovery Box, please call 419-385-5721, ext. 2049.
*Please note that a $25 deposit is required, which will be refunded upon return of the Discovery Box.

Discovery Box Offerings (with suggested grade ranges):

Africa (3-HS)	Great Lakes (3-12)
Animal ABCs (PreK-2)	Insects (K-7)
Animal 123s (PreK-2)	Kelp Forest (3-8)
Animal Adaptations (3-6)	Mammoth Mammals (K-5)
Animal Coverings (K-3)	Math (K-6)
Animals in Spanish (K-HS)	Mobile Homes - Mollusks (K-4)
Arctic (K-6)	Oak Openings (K-8)
Australia (K-6)	Plants (1-6)
Baby Animals (K-2)	Pollution (3-HS)
Bears and Sea Lions (K-2)	Rain Forests (K-6)
Beasts in a Box (K-6)	Reptiles and Amphibians (K-HS)
Biomes (3-8)	Rocks and Minerals (3-HS)
Birds (K-2)	Sea Life (K-3)
C.A.R.E - Children Acting Responsibly for      the Earth (K-HS)	Something's Fishy (K-6 and 6-HS)
Clever Classification (3-6)	Unhuggables (K-3)
Dinosaurs (K-3)	Weather (2-HS)
Egg-Zactly (K-2)	Winter (K-HS)
Endangers Species (K-8)	Wonderful Wolves (3-8)
Fossils (3-HS)	Zebra Mussel Mania (5-HS)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discovery Box Policies:

Reservations
Reservations for Discovery Boxes must be made at least two business days in advance of the day that you wish to pick up the box. For example, if you would like to pick up a Discovery Box on a Friday, you must call to make a reservation by that Wednesday at the latest. Reservations may be made up to one year in advance.

Fees
A $5.00 charge is required for each Discovery Box for each two-week period that the box is checked out. Therefore, if there is a request to keep the Discovery Box out longer (either through a renewal or by asking for a longer reservation time), there will be an additional charge of $3.00 for an extra week or $5.00 for two weeks. However, please be aware that it is not always possible to extend a Discovery Box reservation. If you are interested in keeping the box for an extended time, please call the librarian (ext. 2049) as soon as possible to make the arrangements.

The fee will be due when the Discovery Box is picked up. An additional fee accrued during the loan period (i.e., if the box is renewed) will be due when the box is returned. If the fee is not received at that time, an invoice will be sent.

There will be a $1.00-per-day late fee for each Discovery Box unless you have made prior arrangements to extend your loan period. Again, this fee will be due when the box is returned. If the fee is not received at that time, an invoice will be sent.

If a Discovery Box is reserved but not picked up, the $5.00 fee will still be charged unless the reservation has been cancelled. Reservation cancellations must be made at least three days prior to the pick-up date. If no cancellation notice is received, an invoice will be sent.

Deposits
A $25.00 deposit per Discovery Box will still be required in addition to the $5.00 check-out fee. This deposit may be kept on file for an extended period of time if more Discovery Boxes will be used at later dates.

The deposit may be left in the form of a check or a valid credit card number. Cash cannot be accepted. Please note that in most cases, checks will not be cashed/deposited and credit cards will not be charged unless there is a missing or broken object (See Payment Options). If that is the case, the borrower will be contacted beforehand and given a chance to find or replace the object.

Payment Options
The $5.00 check-out fee may be paid with cash, check, or credit card. However, the deposit may only be left in the form of a check or credit card (no cash). Therefore, your options are:
    • Leave a $25.00 check for the deposit and pay $5.00 cash for the check-out fee.
    • Use a credit card. Only $5.00 will be charged to it at the time of check out. If necessary, additional charges will be taken care of        later.
    • Leave your credit card number as the deposit and pay $5.00 cash for the check-out fee.
    • Or, any other combination, but remember that cash cannot be left as a deposit.

Missing Items
An inventory list is included with every Discovery Box. Please use this inventory list to ensure that all items are present before returning the Discovery Box. If there is no inventory list in a Discovery Box, please contact Jerran Orwig at extension 2049 and one will be mailed or e-mailed to you.

If there is an item missing from a Discovery Box when it is returned, the borrower will be contacted and is expected to return the item immediately. If the item cannot be found, the borrower will be responsible for the replacement cost.

Please make sure that all items are in the Discovery Box when it is returned. If all of the missing items are returned or replaced, the deposit check will still be returned to the borrower. If the missing items are not returned after the librarian has contacted the borrower, the replacement cost will be taken out of the deposit check. If there is any money left over, a refund check will be issued. If the deposit check does not cover the entire amount of the replacement cost, an invoice will be sent for the remainder of the amount.

Questions?
If you have any questions or would like to reserve a Discovery Box, please feel free to contact Jerran Orwig at (419) 385-5721, ext. 2049.