Book program comes to Mineral County
MINERAL COUNTY – A new program in Mineral County plans to bring the joy of reading into the homes of children who might not otherwise might not be able to afford quality books and the source of the program is one some county residents might already be a fan of.
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library program is new to Mineral County and the world famous celebrity’s program does is put books in the hands of children beginning at birth until age five. Once registered, participants get one book per month during that period of their lives up to a total of 60 books.
Launched in conjunction with the Missoula branch of the United Way, the program is offered at no cost to families and is not limited to just those in need. According to information provided in a press release, Parton started the Imagination Library in 1995 to “stimulate the love of reading in pre-school aged children by sending them an age appropriate book every month by mail.” Children can be registered at any time,
According to a representative from the Missoula branch of the United Way, Parton was inspired to create the program for children from her own experience as a child. Community Relations Manager Stacy Rye said Parton was not always a wealthy celebrity with throngs of fans across the globe.
“She grew up poor,” Rye said. “She said that books unlocked the world for her and she wanted to make that happen for other children. She also said that her father was illiterate so this is her most important life’s work. These are really good, quality books. The kids can sign up whenever they want. There are no income restrictions. We wanted to include Mineral County in the program. We’ve had enormous response but we want to get the word out to rural communities.”
Interested parties are encouraged to register at www.imaginationlibrary.com. Rye said, once registered, participants will start receiving books approximately seven weeks. For questions regarding the Imagination Library program, Mineral County residents are encouraged to call 406-549-6104 or go to www.MissoulaUnitedWay.org.