Marshall University’s June Harless Center for Rural Educational Research and Development is partnering with the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) and the Dollywood Foundation to provide age-appropriate books to children from ages birth to five in West Virginia. This is taking place through the Imagination Library, a program of the Dollywood Foundation started by musician Dolly Parton.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Imagination Library has provided families with an opportunity to engage with their children, continue their literacy development, and feel a sense of normalcy when they receive the book in the mail with their child’s name on it.
“Parents of children aged 0-5 in participating areas can now sign up to get a free book by mail every month,” said Brandie Turner, an early literacy specialist with the June Harless Center. “The Imagination Library is more than just a feel-good program: the body of evidence on early brain development shows the importance of reading to young children. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library changes lives.”
More than 35,000 children are currently enrolled in the program across the state. Turner said that in the month of July a record number of children were enrolled in the Imagination Library program. As of July 1, every county in the state is offering the program in some capacity. Visit https://www.marshall.edu/juneharless/imaginationlibrary/ to view a map of participating areas.
In order to support the growth of the Imagination Library Program and put books in the homes of even more West Virginia children, the June Harless Center is asking community members, organizations and businesses to consider sponsoring a child for the program. For example, a donation of just $25 sponsors a child to receive a book in the mail monthly for an entire year. Potential sponsors may learn more by watching the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upAByC__yHQ&feature=youtu.be or by visiting www.marshall.edu/juneharless/imaginationlibrary/.