10/16/2008
Imagination Library of McDowell County, West Virginia has enrolled an unprecedented number of pre-school children. The announcement came as the Department of Education and the Arts and its program partner, the Dollywood Foundation, reviewed the tremendous response from families in the county. Based on census data, there are 1440 eligible children for Imagination Library in McDowell County. Since the launch of the program on June 1, 2007 nearly 1500 children have registered with 1,122 currently participating and more than 375 children ‘graduating’ beyond the years of eligibility. Initiated June 1, 2007, Imagination Library provides books to families with children ages newborn to five and registers families through the local public libraries.
The McDowell County program far exceeds the national norms set by the Dollywood Foundation, which estimates that 70% of eligible children can be registered over a five-year period. McDowell County has far surpassed this expectation in only 16 months. “This news is exciting,” said Cabinet Secretary Kay Goodwin. “Families continue to see the value of books and the impact literature has on their children. The McDowell County response is proving that reading is important to families.”
“These numbers are breathtaking,” said Robin Taylor, state program director. “The Imagination Library encourages children’s literature in the home, an important tradition to start and maintain.” A free age-appropriate book is mailed monthly to each registered child. This means that newborns could receive up to 60 books before their fifth birthday. Children are registered by their parents or guardians who promise to read to the young people. Imagination Library is supported by the West Virginia Library Commission through the McDowell Public Libraries, the McDowell County Women, Infants and Children Office (WIC) and McDowell County Schools. Funding for the books and postage is provided by Governor Joe Manchin III and the West Virginia State Legislature.
McDowell County was the first of six counties in West Virginia that has started an Imagination Library. Others include Barbour County, Clay County, Mingo County, Webster County and Lincoln County. New Imagination Libraries are slated for additional counties later this year and in 2009.
Imagination Library provides children, ages birth to five years, with free hard-back, age appropriate books, giving parents the opportunity to encourage the love of reading. The literature selected for the program is designed to provide children with a solid foundation toward a successful education.
The Department of Education and the Arts provides statewide leadership and innovation, enhancing arts and minds throughout West Virginia. Composed of five agencies and a number of special programs originating from the Cabinet Secretary’s Office, the Department seeks to reinforce the rich heritage of culture, education and artistic creation in West Virginia. Education and the Arts celebrates the perseverance and resilience of the “Mountain Character” through public broadcasting, libraries, rehabilitation, professional development, community volunteerism and culture and history.
For more information concerning Imagination Library, contact Robin Taylor at 304-558-2440 or via email robin.j.taylor@wv.gov
Contact Information
Robin Taylor
304-558-2440
robin.j.taylor@wv.gov