CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD!
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER YOUR CHILD!
WHAT IS IT?
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a 60-volume set of books beginning with the children's classic The Little Engine That Could. Each month, a new, carefully selected book will be mailed in your child's name directly to your home. Best of all, it's a FREE GIFT! There is no cost or obligation to your family.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
Preschool children ages birth to five who are residents of Logan County.
WHAT ARE MY RESPONSIBILITIES?
- Be a resident of Logan County.
- Submit an official registration form.
- Notify United Way of Logan County any time your address changes. Books are mailed to the addresses listed on the official registration form. If the child's address changes, you must contact United Way in order to continue receiving books.
- Read with your child.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE BOOKS?
Eight to ten weeks after your registration form has been received, books will begin arriving at your home and will continue until your child turns five or you move out of Logan County.
WHY IS UNITED WAY PROMOTING THIS PROGRAM?
Early childhood literacy in Logan County needs a boost. In 2016, we noted an alarming percentage of five-year olds who took the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment last fall were testing NOT READY to enter school.
- Bellefontaine - 55%
- Benjamin Logan - 52%
- Indian Lake - 33%
- Riverside - 46%
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is proven on a national level to increase early reading, vocabulary skills, and parent-child interaction by providing free books to every child enrolled. Each month, a new, carefully selected book is mailed in the child’s name directly to his or her home to generate excitement and promote ownership.
So United Way worked to bring the successful Dolly Parton Imagination Library to the children of Logan County. We formed a coalition of local educators, libraries, and community partners dedicated to early childhood literacy. The United Way Board committed $150,000 to the project over a five-year periodCost of the program is $25 per year per child. All Logan County children under age five are able to accumulate a free library of up to 60 books and develop the skills necessary to be ready for school. This program mails a new, age-appropriate book every month to each child enrolled in the program until their fifth birthday.
From 2017 to 2019, 55,666 books were mailed to more than 2,600 Logan County preschoolers!
In July 2019, the Ohio legislature included $5 million to jump start the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library to support existing programs throughout the state and to help start it in communities where it was not yet available. Beginning in November 2019, one half of our program cost is now supported by the State, effectively DOUBLING the impact of our local support!
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library has been in existence since 1995. Founded by Dolly Parton herself for the children in her hometown of Sevier County, the program has spread across the country through the help of committed community partners. The program inspires a love of reading by guaranteeing that all children enrolled will have quality books in the home. At no cost to the family, an age-appropriate book is mailed monthly directly to the child from enrollment to their fifth birthday.
All children under the age of five residing in Logan County will be eligible for the program, with a goal of registering up to 1,200 children. Registration forms will be made available this fall at all Logan County public libraries, through the Birth Center at Mary Rutan Hospital, local pediatrician offices, day care centers, preschools, churches, elementary schools and through social media.
Wish to help us or like more information? Call us at (937) 592-2886 or click here to give now, or visit www.imaginationlibrary.com.