Hardin County Schools, Elizabethtown Independent Schools and Central Kentucky Community Foundation are encouraging Hardin County residents to participate in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library mails a free, age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age five whose families register for the books.  Families simply need to sign up for the service.  Children who are registered receive a new book in the mail every month at no cost to the families.
 

Families with children who reside in Hardin County from birth up to age five are encouraged to participate.  

Families can sign up for participation by going to this website:  https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/.  Signing up is a quick and easy process. 

Data from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library indicates that 38% of the children in Hardin County who are eligible to receive the free books are doing so.  That is up from 17% over the last couple of months.  

Community members can also donate to this initiative that sparks imaginations, encourages a love of reading and opens doors to lifelong learning. Anyone interested in investing in the future of children who reside in the Hardin County community can give the gift of literacy at the Central Kentucky Community Foundation’s website, www.ckcf4people.org.

“Reading skills are essential for success,” HCS Early Childhood Director Carlena Sheeran said.  “Proven research shows that children who are read to by their parents, older siblings, family members and friends come to kindergarten ready to learn at much higher levels.  That leads to success in and out of K-12 classrooms, college classrooms and careers after graduation.”

“We are honored to serve as the community partner for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library,”  Central Kentucky Community Foundation President/CEO Davette Swiney said.  “This initiative has a legacy of creating a strong foundation of academic success for every child.  A book a month for five years can build a wonderful library and provide endless opportunities for fun and learning.”

“Lifelong learning is built on reading,” Elizabethtown Independent Schools’ Panther Academy Principal Carla Kuhn said.  “Parents reading to children creates many happy memories for children and instills a passion for learning.  We are thankful that children in all of Hardin County are eligible to receive books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.”