The Madill City-County Library is proud to announce that Marshall County is now part of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.Theorganization sends books to children up to the age of five, no matter their family's income.
According to the website, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is ' dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland.'
Parton said she was inspired by her father's inability to read and write. She started the Imagination Library in 1995 for the children in her own home county. Over the years, the organization has blossomed and now spans five countries and gifts over two million free books each month to children around the world.
Parton said her dream is for her organization to inspire children around the world to follow their own dreams and become great adults.
“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, Iknewmydreamswould come true,' Parton said in an interview. 'I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
The Madill City-County Library is hosting an event to celebrate Imagination Library being available to Marshall County children. The event will be April 30 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
There will be a balloon artist and story reading with Mr. and Mrs. Long. Refreshments will be available along with the opportunity to take a photo with a Parton figure and other characters.
Parents can sign up their children for the program at the event.