PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WVLT) – On ‘Read Across America Day,’ Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library encourages reading every single day from the time of birth. Currently, they mail out 1.8 million books a month to children all over the world.
Step inside the headquarters of the Imagination Library in Pigeon Forge and you’ll find book after book. Many of the books are in the collection, while others may be waiting on the expert panel to read and approve them.
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“We have what we call a blue-ribbon selection committee and they get together once a year and select from hundreds of children’s books and select them according to age-appropriate themes and concepts and slot them according to each of the age groups,” said Jeff Conyers.
Jeff Conyers, President of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, says the books are delivered each month and are age-appropriate to encourage learning from birth.
“Research shows just how important it is to read to a child very early in life and their brains are developing so quickly in the first five years long before they arrive at school. And so capitalizing on that window of time is very important in reading is absolutely the best thing that you can do,” said Conyers.
Books are delivered until their 5th birthday through a statewide program here in Tennessee. Conyers says, more statewide programs are set to come online soon.
The program is currently available in five different countries.
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