Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to provide free books to some Oklahoma children
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Children served by Oklahoma's Pioneer Library System, which serves towns in Cleveland, McClain and Pottawatomie counties, are receiving a boost to early childhood literacy thanks to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
Parents of children under the age of 5 can register their children to receive one free book per month, by mail, until their fifth birthday.
The goal of the Imagination Library is to "cultivate a love of reading in early life," the library system said in a release. The program has served children around the world, mailing more than 150 million books since its launch in 1995.
"When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true,” Parton said in the statement.
“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.”
The Pioneer Library System has branches in Noble, Blanchard, Purcell, Newcastle, southwest Oklahoma City, Moore, Shawnee, Tecumseh, McLoud and three Norman locations.
Tecumseh Public Library branch manager Beth Lyle is the Pioneer Library System point person for the Imagination Library.
“Science tells us that 90% of brain growth happens before kindergarten, so we know the connections made during the early years of a child’s life will be essential to their future development,” Lyle said of the importance of the program’s support of early reading.
Interested parents can register their children online at pioneerlibrarysystem.org. In-person registration is also available at any Pioneer Library System location and Saturday in Norman at the Touch-A-Truck event from 9 a.m. to noon at the Cleveland County Fairgrounds, 615 E Robinson St.
Lyle said online registration is fairly simple, but parents can call any library branch, email librarians with questions or go to imaginationlibrary@pioneerlibrarysystem.org.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Early childhood literacy in Oklahoma receives boost from Dolly Parton
