LUDLOW, Vt. – School closings, stay home orders, social distancing, and other aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic have brought Vermont families back together. Our youngest children now need more things to do at home than ever before. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library can help preschool children cope with the “new normal.”
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book-gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until they begin school, no matter their family’s income. Dolly was inspired to start this program by her father’s inability to read and write.
After launching in 1995, the program grew quickly. At first, books were only distributed to children living in the Tennessee county where Dolly grew up. So far, over 142 million of these free books had been mailed to children living in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland. Imagine the excitement the currently registered 1,648,000 children feel receiving these gifts.
Since 2012, the Ludlow Rotary has made this Imagination Library program a reality in Mount Holly, Ludlow, Plymouth, and Cavendish. With the help of local educators, a large proportion of children residing in our area are now registered to receive these books.
The Imagination Library program mails a new, age-appropriate book into the homes of children every month. Dolly’s Imagination Library is designed to inspire the love of reading in children by spending time with family and friends sharing these wonderful books together. The signature book of the program, “The Little Engine That Could,” is recognized by most parents. Dolly understands that reading is the key to a strong education, and that a child’s imagination is the center of his or her dreams and creativity. By combining the two, this program inspires children to dream more, learn more, care more, and be more.
Registration cards can be requested from, and mailed back to, the Ludlow Rotary, P.O. Box 216, Ludlow, VT 05149. The privacy of the children is strictly honored. The books are addressed and mailed directly to the children, much to their delight. The mailings start about six weeks after the date of registration.
Researchers have concluded that children that participate in this type of program get a real boost in their performance – doing much better in kindergarten and throughout their academic career. We think this investment in our children is more than worth the cost.
For additional information, please contact David Almond at davidkalmond44@gmail.com. Further information about the Ludlow Rotary, its projects and membership opportunities are available at www.ludlowrotary.com.