Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library encourages early literacy

ASHTABULA – “Early literacy is the foundation for lifelong learning.”
That was the message during the Ashtabula County Community Action Agency’s 2nd annual Rise and Shine for Reading fundraiser breakfast on Friday, Oct. 17.
Held at Head Start in Ashtabula, the fundraiser supported the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which mails children one high-quality, age-appropriate book each month until a child’s fifth birthday. All children – from birth to age five – in Ohio can sign up for the program at no cost.
A ticket to the breakfast sponsored books for one child for an entire year.
ACCAA Executive Director Alissa Holdson kicked off remarks at the breakfast, thanking a lengthy list of staff, board members and sponsors.
“We were really just blown away by the support again this year,” Holdson said.
Breakfast sponsors were Ashtabula County Job & Family Services and Catholic Charities of Ashtabula County, along with table sponsors, Ashtabula Regional Medical Center, Ashtabula Kiwanis Club, Community Counseling Center, Community First Credit Union, Conneaut Moose 472, Fitzgibbons Arnold & Co. Insurance, Gallagher Benefit Services, The Kendall Foundation and Molded Fiber Glass.
Holdson introduced speaker Amy Rosenbaum, a retired teacher from Euclid City Schools District, where she served for 36 years. She now teaches education courses at Lake Erie College.
In her remarks, Rosenbaum focused on the importance of early literacy.
“Early literacy is the foundation for lifelong learning and academic success,” Rosenbaum said.
She said early literacy includes language development, phonological awareness (the ability to hear sounds and words in a spoken language), print awareness (understanding that the print within a book carries meaning), vocabulary building and comprehension.
“All of these skills are building blocks for success,” Rosenbaum said.
She said when students walk into kindergarten, they begin this process.
“However, if it is established early on, 0-5, those children come in that much stronger and ready to go forward,” Rosenbaum said. “Early literacy builds that foundation for reading and writing.”
She talked about how early-literacy experiences foster social-emotional growth.
“Shared reading and storytelling with a caregiver, a grandparent, a parent, sharing those meanings or those conversations behind pictures, help children gain empathy with other people,” Rosenbaum said. “These experiences encourage students to see perspectives beyond their own.”
The children also develop self expression, and deepen bonds with the caregivers reading to them.
“Early literacy encourages a lifelong love of learning. Children exposed to engaging literacy experiences early develop curiosity, imagination and a positive attitude toward learning,” Rosenbaum said.
After Rosenbaum’s remarks, Holdson spoke about the history and purpose of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
On the federal level, Dolly Parton is the main sponsor of the program.
“We’re really lucky in Ohio to have a very strong state office for the Imagination Library,” Holdson said.
She said a lot of that can be owed to Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine.
Prior to 2019, only 18 percent of Ohio children had access to the program.
In 2019, DeWine established the state office for the Ohio Imagination Library, and now the program is available in all 88 counties.
ACCAA is the local program partner for Ashtabula County since spring 2020.
“The program very much fits our mission,” Holdson said.
How the program works is, a caregiver enrolls their child at OhioImaginationLibrary.org. There’s also paper applications that can be mailed. A new enrollment initiative in Ohio allows families to sign up directly at the hospital following the birth of the child.
The Dollywood Foundation provides access to books for $2.20 each, thanks to Dolly Parton’s generosity.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio receives funding from the Ohio General Assembly and various donors to provide a monthly match of $1.10 per book mailed each month in Ohio.
Local program partners cover the other $1.10 per book mailed in their assigned county. This structure ensures the program remains free to all families in Ohio.
A child’s first book arrives approximately 8 weeks later. Then, a monthly book will be delivered until a child’s fifth birthday at no cost to families.
“These are very high-quality, age-appropriate books,” Holdson said.
In Ashtabula County, there are currently 2,931 children ages 0-5 enrolled in the program.
“We are currently at 58-percent enrollment for Ashtabula County,” Holdson said.
She was excited about the new enrollment initiative allowing new parents to sign up at the hospital.
Some 3,245 children have “graduated” from the program since 2020. The program has provided 162,080 books to date, since spring 2020.
Holdson then invited Ashtabula County Commissioner Kathryn Whittington, who helped bring the program to Ashtabula County, to speak.
Whittington thanked those in attendance for supporting the program.
“Since the Imagination Library was launched here, we have seen it grow beyond what we ever imagined. Every book that has been mailed to homes represents a story shared, a bond strengthened and a child’s imagination awakened,” Whittington said. “Because of you, our donors, partners, volunteers, champions, this program continues to thrive.”
She said the Imagination Library is simple, but life changing.
“When a child holds a book, they’re not just turning pages. They’re discovering words, ideas and dreams,” Whittington said.
Research shows that children who have access to books in their early years are better prepared for school, more confident in the classroom and more likely to succeed throughout life, she said.
“But the impact goes beyond literacy. The Imagination Library builds community. It brings families together, parents, grandparents and caregivers, bonding through stories and time spent reading. It reminds us all that we are part of something bigger – a community that values learning, imagination and an opportunity for every child,” Whittington said.
The breakfast also served as a kickoff for a new fundraiser in support of the Imagination Library locally, with Whittington personally donating $100 to kick off the new fundraising initiative.
The ACCAA is raffling off four tickets to the North Pole Adventure on the Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
People can find details on how to purchase tickets on the Ashtabula County Community Action Agency Facebook page.