Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library now in Marion County

The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County (ELCMC) has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to put free books in the hands of local children, ages birth to age 5, at no cost to the families. [Submitted photo]

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Posted March 29, 2024 | Staff report

The Early Learning Coalition of Marion County (ELCMC) has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to put free books in the hands of local children, ages birth to age 5, at no cost to the families.

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, has gifted more than 200 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by the foundation and community and state partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 2.9 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. The program’s impact has been widely researched and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills, noted the news release.

The ELCMC works to meet the early care and education needs of children and families in Marion County. The organization implements the Voluntary Prekindergarten, School Readiness and Child Care Resource and Referral programs on behalf of the Florida Department of Education Division of Early Learning plus additional complimentary programs that support parents as a child’s first and most important teacher, according to the news release.

ELCMC will host a ribbon cutting ceremony at 8 a.m. April 25 at 2300 SW 17^th Road, Ocala, to celebrate bringing the Imagination Library to Marion County.

“We have been happily surprised by community response to the availability of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Marion County. Over a thousand children were registered in less than a week. This shows us the level of interest parents have to increase the pre-literacy skills of their children,” CEO Carrie Theall said in the release. “Partnering with the Imagination Library is a direct response to Marion County’s declining third grade reading scores. Research shows that children who have books in their homes and who are read to regularly prior to starting school are more likely to develop the early literacy and language skills they need to be successful in school. Getting high-quality books into the hands of families with children under five is the first step. Children’s excitement when they receive a book addressed to them each month encourages parents and caregivers to read more frequently with their children. This will lead to increased kindergarten readiness and, eventually, to improved reading scores in third grade and beyond. This partnership is a win for the entire community.”

Parents and guardians can enroll their children at ImaginationLibrary.com/USA/Affiliate/FLMarionCo. Registered children will begin receiving books at their home addresses within twelve weeks. After that, books will come every month until the child’s fifth birthday.

To learn more, call (352) 369-2315 or visit elc-marion.org