Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

What little boy or girl wouldn’t like to receive a book in the mail each month? Thanks to the generosity of the community, the Columbus Area United Way has been providing the Imagination Library books-by-mail program to around 1,025 Columbus children from birth to their fifth birthday since 2003
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The local United Way contracts with the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Foundation for this books-by-mail program. The Columbus Area United Way is the only one in Nebraska to support such an imaginative and comprehensive reading effort. For a child to qualify for enrollment at least one parent or guardian must live or work in Columbus. Thanks to the generous financial support offered to the United Way by Cargill Meat Solutions, children whose parents work for Cargill in Schuyler also qualify to receive books through the program.

A young family who lives near where I live have been enrolled since their boy was born. He’s now 4 years old and loves his monthly picture and reading books. His mother tells me that he has a shelf in his room where he keeps his books. He’s very proud of his collection. He first received “board books” which are made of heavy paper—like card stock—and have about twelve to twenty pages. He has since graduated to real books with pictures and words.

While he is not actually reading yet, his parents have read each book to him so often that he has each story memorized. He can flip through a book and tell the story just as though he’s reading it. At his age, he has already begun to recognize quite a few words. His kindergarten teacher is going to love him.

That’s the intent of the “Imagination Library”—to promote reading to children so that they can in turn become readers themselves and be ready for school.

Dolly Patron, the legendary country and western singer, launched this successful program in 1995. She funded it through the “Dollywood Foundation.” Originally, the program was targeted just for the preschool children in her home of Sevier County, Tennessee. It became so successful that interest was generated from across the country. Following many inquiries, Dolly decided to offer her “Imagination Library” to any community that would support it. As of the close of 2007 there were 732 communities in 43 states, the District of Columbia, and 6 Canadian Provinces that support the program. We in Columbus can be proud of our local United Way for its financial and clerical support of the “Imagination Library.”

Back in Dollywood, Tennessee a small selection board chooses the books for the program. Included among the selectors are childcare professional, teachers, and librarians. Miss Parton also sits on the board and is actively involved in choosing books. Guidelines for selection are dependent on the age group. Children who are one year old and younger receive books that are bright and colorful with rhyming verse. Two year olds learn the colors and do “point and say” activities. Books for children at three years of age use nursery rhymes, colors, letters, and numbers. A four year old hears more complex stories with heroes and humor. Five year olds learn folk tales, practice school preparedness, and learn about science and the world around them.

The books are published by the Penguin Book Group and shipped by UPS to over 420,000 children each month. In 2007 nearly 4.5 million books were mailed. This was an increase of 37% over the previous year.

Application forms for this wonderful program can be obtained at our United Way office and the public library or they may be downloaded and printed by contacting www.columbusunitedway.com. Only parents or guardians may apply, so if you are a friend or a relative of a parent with young children, please tell them about the program. Preparing our children to be reading or ready to read prior to entry into Kindergarten is one more way we can ensure that Columbus continues to be the city of “power and progress.”