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At the Tuesday night, April 16, 2019, Magee Board of Aldermen meeting, Aldermen Whitney Baker brought before the board the idea of incorporating “Imagination Library” into our city program.
The program deals with literacy for young children giving a free book to every child from birth to age 5 at no cost.
The city board voted to support and implement the program. Magee Librarian Frances Meadows has agreed to work with the city to carry out the program.
The program will cost $5,000 over 5 years. The cost for a child to participate is $2.10 which the city will pay. Trustmark National Bank has agreed to assume the cost of the registration forms. The program does not require the city to enter into a contract. When begun, children may register online, at the library, or the city hall. The only requirement is that the child have a 39111 zip code and be age 5 or under.
The Imagination Library is the brainchild of Dolly Parton.
About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
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.
After launching in 1995, the program grew quickly. First books were only distributed to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee where Dolly grew up. It became such a success that in 2000 a national replication effort was underway. By 2003, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had mailed one million books. It would prove to be the first of many millions of books sent to children around the world.
Dolly’s home state of Tennessee pledged to pursue statewide coverage in 2004 and global expansion was on the horizon. After the United States, the program launched in Canada in 2006 followed by the United Kingdom in 2007, Australia in 2013 and the Republic of Ireland in 2019.
