Nation’s
First Statewide Expansion of Dolly’s Program Introduces Convenient Online
Enrollment
Governor Phil Bredesen recently announced that parents and caregivers in all 95 counties can now easily register children under age five for the Imagination Library online at www.GovernorsFoundation.org. The Governor made the announcement as he and First Lady Andrea Conte launched “Read to a Child Month” at the Nashville debut of a children’s play adapted from the Imagination Library’s most popular book, Llama Llama Red Pajama.
Originally created by Dolly Parton, the program mails a new, age-appropriate book every month to registered children from birth to age five — at no cost to the family, regardless of income. Providing online registration allows
the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation® to expedite the registration process, save the program thousands of dollars in printing costs and reduce its net environmental impact.
“With half of the state’s children under age five enrolled in Imagination Library, we have to get creative about how we reach and register the other half of our state’s eligible population," said Bredesen. “Today’s parents of young children are computer-savvy and routinely access the Internet for a whole host of transactions. With every county participating in online registration, registering a child is now faster, easier, and more convenient. I am hopeful that with these improvements, we will move even closer to instilling a love of books and reading—at the earliest possible age—in all Tennessee children.”
Since Tennessee’s statewide program kicked off in Oct. 2004, enrollment of under-five children has primarily been handled through a simple registration form inside a paper brochure, commonly available at public libraries. Parents and caregivers hand-write the child’s information on a tear-off sheet, and then mail it their county Imagination Library. Books addressed to the child begin arriving at the child’s home 7-9 weeks after the form is received.
The ease and accessibility of registering newborns and toddlers from a home computer could result in an influx of new registrations that might not have otherwise been captured. While the state’s urban counties were the first to begin offering online enrollment, the GBBF enlisted participation in e-registration from its grassroots partners in every Tennessee county until all 95 had activated the Web-based feature.
Currently, approximately 55 percent o Haywood County's eligible children are registered and receiving a free book each month. The cost of purchasing and delivering books $28 per child, per year and is split between Haywood County Reading Railroad, local partners and the GBBF. The core mission is to enroll any and all eligible children.
If you have a child who is eligible and not registered, go online at www.GovernorsFoundation.org or call the Elma Ross Public Library at 731-772-9534.