By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book
gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from the moment
they’re born to the age of five, no matter their family income. Millions of families across the globe have taken advantage of the program.
With the help of the United Way of Central Kansas, the program officially
arrived to Great Bend in September 2017.
Great Bend Public Library Assistant
Director Amy Mayhill said parents or guardians just need to come into the
library and fill out a simple form to get started.
"The form asks for your address," said Mayhill. "Once we turn that in, we put the information in the computer, it takes six to eight weeks for the first book to come. After that, they'll get a book every month until they're five."
There were 7,200 free books delivered in 2022 to children in Barton and Pawnee
counties. There were 675 books delivered in December 2022 in those two
counties.
With many local supporters of the program, funding exists to get books in the
hands of children.
"The State of Kansas has now matched some of the funds for the program," said Mayhill. "That has opened it up to all libraries in Kansas. Here in Barton County, they can go online to sign up. They don't have to come to the library, but we would prefer they do so we can show everyone what the library has to offer."
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library started in 1995 and has grown to two
million books mailed each month throughout the world.