Dolly Parton Library Update

Many of our library patrons made generous donations to our Wayne County version of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and we wanted to give you an update on how the program is going.

If you haven’t heard of it, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is an effort founded by the singer to provide free books to children ages birth to five throughout the world. To date, it has delivered more than 200 million books to deserving young people, to help spark in them the joy of reading.

How does it work? Dolly’s organization pays for postage and negotiates reduced book prices for high-quality, hardcover children’s books. Each participating community chips in to cover postage and other costs. Parents sign up their children, and every month a new book is shipped to them.

Children are eligible in our area if they live in the 14502 or 14522 area codes (Macedon and Palmyra).

So how’s it going? Since we began the project late last year, 148 children have signed up, with four already graduating (because they turned five). We earned a NYS grant to pay some of the costs, and the rest was raised by dedicated patrons and organizations in our area who understand the value of books for young children.

Interested in helping? There two ways to do so:

• Donate what you can to help us continue the program in coming years. When making your donation, specify that it’s for the Wayne County, NY Imagination Library. No donation is too small, and we appreciate any help you can give!
• Spread the word: If you have a child aged five or younger, it is absolutely free to sign up and receive children’s books. The online registration is simple, and soon you’ll begin receiving a new book each month. Don’t have any young children? Let your neighbors and friends know about this program, too, so we can reach as many children as possible.

WIth your help, this wonderful program can continue to grow in our area, spreading joy in the lives of countless young people as they open a door into the wide world of books.