For the third year in a row, Marshall County Schools and the Moundsville-Marshall County Public Library teamed up to promote the importance of literacy and a love of reading in observance of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) Day this coming Saturday.
During the annual Dolly Day celebration held on Tuesday morning, kids and adults gathered to listen to Marshall County Schools Superintendent Dr. Shelby Haines read Don Freeman’s book “Corduroy,” which was sent to the library by the DPIL.
As a part of the special story hour, the children also received their own teddy bear stuffed animal along with a pack of markers to color its t-shirt. The youngsters who attended also got a bear mask, bear bracelet and snacks to take home.
Former West Virginia Governor Jim Justice declared August 9 as “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Day” in West Virginia to commemorate the singer-songwriter’s visit to the Mountain State in 2022. The day celebrates statewide access to DPIL for children ages five and younger.
Residents of Marshall County who are parents or guardians of kids, birth to age 5, can register their child in the program, at no cost, by visiting imaginationlibrary.com/usa/. A free book will be delivered every month. The goal is to ensure every youngster in the Mountain State has access to age-appropriate books.
DPIL is supported through the West Virginia Legislature and a partnership between the WVDE and the June Harless Center at Marshall University. Businesses and stakeholders also contribute to the sustainability of the initiative.
This year’s festivities also celebrate the 624,000 books delivered to approximately 52,000 West Virginia children annually. Since the program’s inception in 1995, approximately 245 million books have been delivered to more than 3 million children nationwide.