Imagination Library Celebrates Five Years of Serving Community

A man reads to a toddler. — The Imagination Library provides free books each month to children from birth to age 5. (Photo credit: Marion Public Library.)

In the five years since the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ohio, 4,473 Marion County children received books in the mail at no cost to their families.

“We want to thank the community for helping us take on this literacy challenge,” said Gary Branson, director of the Marion Public Library. “We could not have done it without strong community support.”

Imagination Library Has Stunning Reach

After hard work spreading the word among families with young children, 70% of eligible children from birth to age five receive books in the mail each month. That means 2,457 of the 3,535 eligible Marion County children receive books.

A woman reads to a toddler. — Photo credit: Marion Public Library

Community-Wide Impact

“I’m grateful for the opportunities the Imagination Library has provided to our families to foster early childhood literacy – what a promising step in building a stronger community! Looking forward to see the fruits of this program,” said Dr. Jackie Quach, a local pediatrician.

Two children read and show off their books. — Ethan and Harper Miller enjoy their books from the Imagination Library. (Photo credit: Lindsey Miller Wilkes)

“I think the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a great program. When the first book comes in the mail, it is ohhh so exciting…. As children get older, it instills a lifelong love for reading and learning,” said Shannon Pressley, health unit coordinator at OhioHealth Marion General Hospital. “You can just see the impact of these books as the child asks over and over to read the same book. We are so lucky to have the opportunity.”

Generous Donors Offer Critical Support

While the Dollywood Foundation provides access to books for around $2.20 each. State funds cover half of the cost to purchase and mail the books.

“The Marion Public Library comes up with the other 50%. Our Marion community has come through again. We see generosity for many different service organizations, church groups, grant requests and generous individuals who gave to our fund at the Marion Community Foundation on a regular basis,” Branson said.

Representatives of the American Legion present a check to smiling librarians for the Imagination Library. — The American Legion post was one of many generous local supporters.

More than $163,803 in donations and grants were secured to keep the program free for families, regardless of income.

It costs $26 for the library to cover one child for a year, or $130 from birth to age five, which includes 60 books. So far, this partnership has distributed 10,540 books to Marion County children. It takes just 60 to 90 days from registration for books to start arriving.

Local Investment Pays Dividends

“Books play a vital role in infant development, fostering cognitive, emotional and social growth in profound ways,” said Jennifer Valentine, a licensed social worker and the executive director of the Marion Adolescent Pregnancy Program (MAPP) and Help Me Grow.

“We often hear stories about how much the WIC children love their books. This is a great way for us, as a community, to help our children get excited about books and learning early,” said Jessica Woods, Marion Public Health WIC director.

Imagination Library Fosters a Life-Long Love of Reading

Two 5-year-old twins in blue graduation caps and gowns hold books after graduating from the Imagination Library. — Ethan and Harper Miller graduated from the Imagination Library and received swag.

A total of 2,016 children have graduated from Marion’s Imagination Library when they turned five. The library provides a graduation certificate and a swag bag. The library staff also checks to make sure the graduates have a local library card to continue reading.

“The impact of a child’s participation in the Imagination Library is lifelong. Children who have access to quality age-appropriate literature and are read to on a regular basis have a substantial advantage over peers who have not had the same opportunity,” said Laura Detweiler, the Preschool Step Up to Quality manager and the former Early Literacy coordinator at Marion City Schools.

A couple smiles after enrolling their infant in the Imagination Library. — A couple enrolled their infant in the Imagination Library at an outdoor event.

For More Info:

The library will hold a celebration on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 10 a.m. Share the Facebook event.

Parents and guardians can enroll their child at MarionLibrary.org/ImaginationLibrary or OhioImaginationLibrary.org.

To Support This Program:

Stop by Marion Public Library, 445 East Church Street, Marion, to pluck a donation envelope from the Dolly Parton/Hungry Caterpillar tree.

All checks should be made out to Marion Community Foundation, c/o Imagination Library. Donations can also be made online through the Marion Community Foundation website.

Marion Public Library Promotes Lifelong Learning | MarionMade

Marion Community Foundation | MarionMade

MarionMade! is a program of the Marion Technical College.

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