On Tuesday, August 9, Dolly Parton will be traveling the country to visit statewide celebrations of her Imagination Library in Ohio and West Virginia! Join Dolly for two livestream broadcasts as Ohio and West Virginia celebrate full statewide coverage of her Imagination Library and the eligibility of every child under five to enroll!
As the world’s preeminent early childhood book-gifting program, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library mails high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five in partnership with local community affiliates. Children whose parents enroll them in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library receive one new book in the mail each month, at no cost, from birth through age five. Over the course of enrollment, a personal library of as many as 60 books is created, helping form the foundation of a child’s early reading experience.
At 12:00 p.m. EST, tune in to watch Dolly as she joins Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and First Lady Fran DeWine for a special conversation and brief musical performance to celebrate the success of the Imagination Library in Ohio. The special livestream broadcast will be available to watch simultaneously here on dollyparton.com, livestream.com and the Imagination Library Facebook page.
“It is an incredible honor to host Dolly Parton, and celebrate the success of her book gifting program here in Ohio,” said First Lady Fran DeWine. “Ohio’s Imagination Library is thriving, and we are truly blessed to have so many supporters of the program in every community across our great state. These books are changing the lives of so many children, and preparing them for kindergarten—and life!”
The Imagination Library program was brought statewide to Ohio in 2019, under the guidance of First Lady DeWine. Today, 350,566 children are enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, which means 49% of eligible children between birth to age five years old are enrolled in the program.
At 5:30 p.m. ET, tune in to watch Dolly as she joins West Virginia Governor Jim Justice for a sit-down interview and musical performance to celebrate the statewide expansion of West Virginia’s Imagination Library. The special livestream broadcast will be available to watch simultaneously on West Virginia Public Broadcasting television stations and social media channels, YouTube, as well as dollyparton.com and the Imagination Library Facebook page — and will include a performance by the Appalachian Children’s Chorus, greetings from Gov. Jim Justice, presentations from State Superintendent W. Clayton Burch, and a fireside chat with Marshall University President Brad Smith.
The Imagination Library program in West Virginia is administered through a partnership between Marshall University’s June Harless Center and the West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE). Last year, the WVDE announced a major Imagination Library milestone with all 55 counties becoming active in the program. Dolly promised to visit West Virginia once all counties were onboard, making the state one of 11 in the U.S. with the distinction.
Tune in and join Dolly for two livestream broadcasts on August 9, 2022, as we celebrate the statewide success of the Imagination Library in Ohio and West Virginia! For more information on Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, to check availability and register a child, visit imaginationlibrary.com.
On June 23, 2016, many homes and businesses were impacted by the flood waters that passed through the southeastern region of West Virginia. As for two public libraries, Rainelle (Greenbrier County) and Clendenin (Kanawha County), the destruction is unimaginable. Total devastation.
In Clay County, flood water found its way into the basement of the Clay County Public Library ruining computers, children’s program supplies and the heating and cooling system.
To rebuild lost collections, Books-A-Million Stores across the state are supporting flood relief efforts by donating a portion of their sales on Saturday, July 16, 2016, to the state Library Commission. Be sure to mention “WV Flood Relief” at the time of purchase to confirm relief efforts.
“It is a company standard of Books-A-Million to provide a warm and genuine atmosphere to our customers,” said Anne-Marie Johnson, general manager of the Beckley Books-A-Million. “Many of our customers are also library patrons, and the partnership between Books-A-Million and local libraries has always been very natural. For many of our customers – particularly in outlying areas – the library is the closest resource for not only books, but also educational courses, local history, children’s activities, and computers for the public’s use. We are very focused on assisting them during this crucial time of need.”
If you are interested in donating time and hard work, please register with Volunteer West Virginia
For an online donation benefitting Rainelle PL, please send funds to: YouCaring Account for Rainelle
Public Library Checks can be mailed to any of the following:
Rainelle Public Library is making a slow, but gradual recovery. The building consumed 5 feet of water, destroying the library’s entire print and digital collection. Most of the furnishings were unsalvageable, but a few things were recovered. Director of Rainelle Public Library, Ann Farr said,
“Thanks to a local church group, clean-up has been better-than-expected and moving along quite well. The National Guard picked up flood-damaged items left by the curb and a contractor was hired to remove interior sheathing and insulation and to inspect the electrical wiring.”
Clendenin Public Library was also declared a catastrophe. Powerful flood waters forced out windows and left 8 inches of mud throughout the building. No printed piece was left unscathed. Tables and chairs floated across the room and computer equipment was destroyed. The electrical and HVAC systems are damaged beyond repair and the structure of the library itself is uncertain. No items are foreseen as salvageable, but as the sifting through continues – so does the assessment.
Recovery time for these libraries is estimated to be several months. The restoration process will be slow and tedious, but the rescue will happen.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a free book gifting organization that sends nearly one million books per month to children around the world. In West Virginia alone the program serves 21,941 children with help from the WV Dept of Ed and the Arts - the state coordinator which directly oversees all the county programs.
