The community will be reaching a major milestone soon when the 100,000th book will be mailed to a child through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. Since January 2013 when the program was launched in Scott County, over 3,000 children have received free books mailed directly to their homes every month, from birth to age five. Children “graduate” from the program when they turn five, and are mailed a book, Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! In Scott County, 2,073 children are graduates.
Inspired by her own father’s inability to read and write, Dolly Parton’s dream was to foster a love of reading among preschool children and their families by gifting them with a specially selected book each month. Today, the program mails books to over 2 million children in five countries.
To celebrate the achievement of 100,000 books, Scott County Community Foundation and United Way of Scott County are hosting a pajama party on Jan. 18 from 4-5 p.m. at Scott County Public Library, 108 S. Main St., Scottsburg. “Dolly” (local singer Kayla Griffen) will read a book and sing a song. Children can get their picture taken with Dolly, enjoy hot cocoa and cookies, and crafts with library staff. There will be door prizes. Children are encouraged to wear their comfortable pajamas for the party.
There are currently 886 children who are receiving the age-appropriate books each month. There is no requirement other than age and residency, and registration can be found at www.imaginationlibrary.com. This program is made possible by a partnership with the Community Foundation and United Way, with support from the State of Indiana, Scott County School District 2, Kiwanis Club of Scott County, Friends of the Library, and many other generous donors. For more information, you may contact the Community Foundation at 752-2057 or United Way at 752-2586.
