Read, Learn, Discover
Adult Take and Make Crafts!
All day September 22nd, while supplies last.
Saturday
September 18th 2021
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm
Coloring materials and pages provided. Join us to color and relax at the Ottumwa Public Library!
Adult Take and Make Crafts!
All day September 8th, while supplies last.
Sonja Ferrell FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 08/31/21
Ottumwa Public Library
641-682-7563
sferrell@ottumwapubliclibrary.org
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Kicks Off in Wapello County!
Ottumwa, Iowa: The Ottumwa Public Library and the United Way of Wapello County are happy to announce that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) has started in Wapello County. This program sends a free age appropriate book each month in the mail to registered children ages birth to five who reside in Wapello County.
“We are so excited to be able to bring The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to our area. The communities where this has been implemented have seen overwhelming positive results in helping to prepare their toddlers for success in school through the early literacy skillset,” Sonja Ferrell, Director of the Ottumwa Public Library said. “Parents also benefit by the guidance and support provided by the DPIL for reading with their children.”
To help introduce the program to Wapello County there will be a kickoff event on Wednesday, September 8th from 4pm-6pm in Central Park outside of the Ottumwa Public Library. There will be a story walk, refreshments, and craft bags given away in addition to the opportunity to sign children up for DPIL.
“We are so proud to be a part of bringing this program to Wapello County. Early childhood education is a top priority for United Way, and this program is such a great opportunity to invest in our young children. Inspiring a love of reading early sets kids up for success in school and in life,” United Way of Wapello County Executive Director Ali Wilson said.
The DPIL is a program that is sponsored both by the Dolly Parton Foundation and matched with local funds. The United Way of Wapello County has pledged a generous contribution to start the program and The Ottumwa Regional Legacy Foundation has recently awarded a matching grant between the Ottumwa Library Foundation and the Bright Ideas Program. These contributions will get the program off to a solid start and funds will be raised through individual contributions and grant funds to keep the program going in the years to come.
People interested in learning more about the kickoff event or The Dolly Parton Imagination Library should contact Sonja Ferrell at the Ottumwa Public Library, or visit https://blog.ottumwapubliclibrary.org/
About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
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 has gifted well over 150 million free books in Australia, Canada, The Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States. The Imagination Library mails more than 1.8 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to registered children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading, inspiring them to dream. The impact of the program has been widely researched and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.
