Haywood
County Reading Railroad Celebrates Free Literacy Program; Will Promote
Registration, Fundraising
Gov. Bredesen designates September 14-20 as Imagination Library Week in Tennessee
Haywood County will publicize the benefits of books for
young children in a big way, as Gov. Phil Bredesen has again proclaimed the
third week in September as Imagination Library Week in Tennessee, kicking off a
statewide promotion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program. Now in its
second year, Imagination Library Week, Sept. 14-20, is aimed at bolstering
enrollment and fundraising in nearly all 95 counties, including our own!
“As we near the
point that nearly one out of every two eligible children in Tennessee is
registered in this important pre-kindergarten literacy program, I recognize
there are still many more families with young children left to reach,"
said Gov. Bredesen. "Imagination Library Week is an opportunity to
generate greater awareness for the program, and the importance of reading to children
regularly as preparation for formal education. Thanks to the dedication and
hard work of volunteers, we are working toward instilling a love of books and
reading - at the earliest possible age - in each and every one of Tennessee's
children."
Created in 1996 by Dolly Parton in her hometown of
Sevierville, Tenn., the Imagination Library mails a new, age-appropriate,
hardcover book every single month to registered children from birth to age
five, at no cost to the family and regardless of income. A blue-ribbon committee
of childhood education experts selects the books for the Imagination Library,
which includes such classics as The Little Engine That Could, The Snowy Day, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Miss Bindergarten Gets
Ready for Kindergarten.
Any child in Tennessee under age five can be registered for the Imagination Library. Fifty-three percent of our state’s eligible population – nearly 199,000 children – is currently registered in the program and will receive a free book in September. In Haywood County, currently 795 children are registered – approximately 56 percent of children under age five residing in the county. To enroll your child print a registration form or pick up a form at the Elma Ross Public Library, InSouth Bank or First South Bank. Completed forms can be dropped off at the library or mailed to PO Box 25, Brownsville, TN 38012.
The cost of delivering 12 hardback books to one child is
$14 annually. Sponsor a child in the Imagination Library with a tax-deductible
contribution by sending a check made payable to Haywood County Reading
Railroad, and mail to PO Box 25, Brownsville, TN 38012. A thank you letter will
be sent to donors, which can be used for tax purposes.