Dolly Parton knows that reading to young children is the best way to prepare them for school and for life. That's why she started the Imagination Library. In 1996, she began sending free gift books in the mail to the young children of Sevier County. Since then, she and The Governor's Books from Birth Foundation (GBBF) have expanded the program to the entire state of Tennessee. In Knox County, we're proud that over 16,244 children under the age of five look forward to receiving their book every month. That's 70% of all eligible children! To register your child, visit their website or call 215-8784.

DONATE TO IMAGINATION LIBRARY
Books and mailing cost approximately $30 per child, per year. The GBBF provides half of that funding, bringing the local fundraising goal to $15 per child, or roughly $360,000 per year. Imagination Library is locally supported by generous foundations, businesses, and individuals. Knox County Government provides overhead costs, so valuable donor dollars are used solely for the purchase of books, mailing, and program materials. Since 2008, the Friends of the Knox County Public Library have proudly contributed $15,000 of a total $25,000 Five Year Promise to the Knox County Imagination Library. You can make your contribution to the Imagination Library online, or by mail to 500 West Church Ave., Knoxville, TN, 37902.

For more information, please visit their website or call Amy Nachtrab at 215-8784.

“Studies show that 50 percent of an adult’s mental capacity is in place by the age of four,” says Fredda Williams, Knox County children’s librarian. “Reading to young children expands vocabulary, increases attention span and stimulates imagination. What we now invest in our children will have long-term benefits for them and for our community.”

The Friends' investment in early childhood reading began in 1995, when we launched a formal Head Start Program. This program provides volunteers to read to children at local Head Start Centers. The weekly sessions are held every fall and again in the early spring.

Knox County librarian Marilyn Jones sets up the program, trains the readers and puts together a number of six-book sets selected from popular children’s literature. The three to five year olds who make up the listening audience receive a special gift at the end—a new book, one that the volunteers have used as a reader.

The volunteer readers who visit Head Start classrooms quickly discover what parents and librarians have always known—reading aloud to children is still a delight! For more information on the Head Start program or to volunteer as a reader, contact Dottie Stamper or Janet Oakes or contact the Friends office at 215-8775 or info@knoxfriends.org.