Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends free reading material to kids
While very few of us are actually traveling these days, a fun adventure may be available right inside your own home. That’s the power of a written story. Travel, exploration, adventure and imagination can be found right in the pages of good book.
Hopefully, that message is reaching children in Monongalia and Preston counties through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
In Monongalia County, 2,001 children are signed up for the program, and 1,187 are signed up in Preston. In Mon County, 583 children have graduated already from the program, meaning they’ve aged out but may still receive books on occasion.
The United Way of Monongalia and Preston Counties’ affinity group, Women United, launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Monongalia County on May 23, 2018. The program has had a standing presence in Preston County. The book-by-mail program delivers one free, high-quality, age-appropriate book per month to children from birth to 5 years of age.
And the program has continued mailing books through the COVID-19 pandemic, which means parents are still reading with their younger children. It’s a great way for parents to connect with their kids, as well as pass on a love of reading.
In fact, kids adore it so much, we’ve heard many parents say their children often can’t wait to check the mail to see if they have a new book to read. Others say they receive books that they wouldn’t have necessarily picked out for their children but have since become family favorites.
And yet others say receiving the books have been essential to preparing their children to go to school.
All of those were goals when the Book Lady herself, Dolly Parton, started the program in 1995 in her home county in East Tennessee. The country singer wanted to promote a love of reading, and it was something that hit close to home for her; her own father was unable to read and write.
“He was the smartest man I have ever known, but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams,” Parton states on the Imagination Library website.
Since 1995, the program has grown tremendously. More than 1.6 million children are now registered for the program in the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom. And more than 140 million books have been distributed worldwide.
“Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organizations who have embraced my dream and made it their own,” Parton says. “They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed.”
It’s that passion that has driven Women United to fundraise every year to keep the program running smoothly in Monongalia County. In fact, there’s still room to grow in both counties. Of the total number of children ages birth-5 in Mon County, about 35% are signed up for the program, and about 66% are signed up in Preston County.
While Women United and United Way keep the program running in Mon County, there is still a need for donor dollars. In fact, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Power of the Purse fundraiser, one of the main sources of income for the Imagination Library, was canceled this year. The cost to sponsor a child for one year (12 books) is $25, or you can sponsor a child for the full five years for $125. To donate, visit unitedwaympc.org/dpil and click “donate.”
To sign up your child to receive books, visit unitedwaympc.org/dpil and click “sign up.”
