Pulaski County Public Schools and the Pulaski County Library System are teaming up to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Pulaski County youth.
“PCPS is excited to partner with the Pulaski County Library system to bring this opportunity to the families in our community,” Mrs. Tonia Singleton, PCPS Coordinator of PreK and Elementary Curriculum and Instruction said. “Placing a new book into the hands of our current and future students is a valuable investment that we all can stand behind.”
“What a wonderful opportunity this is for the students in Pulaski County schools,” PCPS Superintendent Mr. Robert Graham said. “A program like this provides our youngest learners with additional resources to promote early literacy and kindergarten readiness. We are grateful for this partnership with the Pulaski County and The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Libraries.”
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a program for any child, from newborn to five-years-old, and expires on the child’s fifth birthday. Parents and guardians must sign their children up for the program. This is a free program that provides free, age-appropriate books for children that are sent by mail each month.
Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, country music entertainer and icon Dolly Parton started the program in 1995 for the children of her home county in the hills of eastern Tennessee. Her vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month. Now, that program spans across five countries and gifts over two million free books each month to children around the world.
“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true,” Parton stated on her website. “I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
There are currently over 2,629,789 children registered for the program and over 213,859,527 books have been gifted to date. Those books have been distributed through the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.
A kickoff party is being tentatively planned for Thursday, November 9, at the Pulaski County Public Library. Parents may sign their children up at this LINK. Parents/guardians may also contact Kirsten Saunders with Pulaski County Libraries at 540-994-2458 or email ksaunders@pclibs.org.