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“Hello, Dolly!”

Dolly Parton Imagination Library comes to Pickens Co.

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Staff report
in ,
Books are available in both English and Spanish. Pickens County zip codes that currently have access are: 29685, 29671, 29661, 29635, 29682 and 29630. Courtesy photo

Books are available in both English and Spanish. Pickens County zip codes that currently have access are: 29685, 29671, 29661, 29635, 29682 and 29630.

Courtesy photo

PICKENS COUNTY — A growing number of Pickens County children can now receive free books through Dolly Parton Imagination Library. A group of local organizations and non-profits — “Pickens County Imagination Library” — have come together to fund six zip codes, with more on the way.

The residents of the two Cliffs Communities in Pickens County, the Vineyards and Springs, joined together to sponsor the initiative in the six northern Pickens County zip codes. Robert Ackley, organizer of the library, says: “We think the Dolly Parton Imagination Library offers us the best opportunity to make a meaningful impact on early childhood development and literacy. We continue to recruit funding partners to expand our reach and educational partners to enhance the program’s effectiveness across Pickens County. We anticipate this will be a model of cooperation in Pickens County.”

Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly Parton started her Imagination Library in 1995 for the children within her home county. Today, her program spans five countries and gifts over 1 million free books each month to children around the world. 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 worldwide.

“We are thrilled to see Dolly Parton Imagination Library come to our county,” said Amity Buckner, Pickens County First Steps executive director. “We’re so thankful for all the philanthropic organizations that have come together to support this great work. Getting quality literature in the hands of our youngest learners is one of the best ways to increase school readiness, foster a love of reading and to maximize love — all things we know create a great start in life.”

Books are available in both English and Spanish. Pickens County zip codes that currently have access are: 29685, 29671, 29661, 29635, 29682, and 29630. To stay updated on new zip codes that will be added, follow Pickens County First Steps on Facebook or Twitter.

Families can sign up and check availability by visiting www.imaginationlibrary.com.

“Hi everybody. This is Dolly.

Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.

Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 1 million children.

Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organizations who have embraced my dream and made it their own. They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed.

It’s been quite a journey but we have so much more left to do. I would love for your community to join our family so please take the time to explore our website. Let’s share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books.

The first step is always the hardest, but you’ll never know unless you try …”

— Dolly Parton

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