Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library expands offerings across N.C.
Special to IFN
The N.C. Partnership for Children has announces a significant expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) program in North Carolina with the introduction of a new bilingual book collection.
DPIL has fostered a love of reading among children ages birth to five by delivering specially selected books to their homes each month since 2017. DPIL is available in every county in North Carolina through the Smart Start Network.
Currently, the program reaches 5,771 children birth to age five in Iredell County.
Participating families can now choose between two library book collections—an English collection and a fully bilingual English/Spanish collection.
♦ English Collection – Primarily English books with an occasional bilingual English/Spanish book.
♦ Bilingual English/Spanish Collection – Exclusively bilingual English/Spanish books.
This change helps DPIL and the Iredell County Partnership for Young Children provide equitable access to high-quality children’s literature for Spanish-speaking families.
“The addition of fully bilingual English/Spanish Imagination Library books is a great option for Spanish-speaking families that provides more equitable access to the program. It moves us closer to helping inspire all children to love reading through the gift of Imagination Library books,” says Jeff Conyers, president of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
“This expansion allows all families in Iredell County the equal opportunity to encourage strong parent-child interaction and develop an early love of reading. It is so important for children to see themselves and their cultures reflected in all books. We are grateful to be a part of Phase 1, to help bridge the early literacy gap for all families,” added Peyton Barrows, ICPYC literacy/Mooresville site coordinator.
Amy Cubbage, president of the N.C. Partnership for Children, also shared her enthusiasm for the new initiative.
“This expansion is another great step towards ensuring that every child in North Carolina has access to quality books that foster the skill and love of reading. We are thrilled to be able to reach more children and honor the diverse languages and cultures that make our communities strong.”
Both collections have been carefully curated by the book selection committee to inspire a love of reading, ensuring that every child can develop strong literacy skills from an early age. While some titles will overlap between the collections, there will be unique books specific to each collection mailed out monthly.
LEARN MORE
To find out more about Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library partnership or to register a child in Iredell County, visit https://www.iredellsmartstart.org/dpil
ABOUT ICPYC
The Iredell County Partnership for Young Children (ICPYC) is a 501 (c)(3), nonprofit organization, dedicated to measurably increasing learning and healthy development of children birth to age five in Iredell County. ICPYC provides services focused on raising the quality of early care and education, supporting families, advancing child health, and expanding literacy. For more information, call (704) 878-9980 or visit http://www.iredellsmartstart.org/. ICPYC is located at 734 Salisbury Road in Statesville.