Manchester’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library continues, thanks to donations

Through the Imagination Library, Manchester children ages 0 – 5 are able to receive 12 books a year mailed to their home for free.

One of the best parts of living in a small town is being able to experience the local community really showing support to one another when it really counts. That is just what happened when the call went out to help fund the local Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The Board members of the Manchester District Library and the members of the Manchester Men’s Club both donated while public fundraising had become hard with the shut downs and stay-at-home order.

Without the Library Board and Men’s Club donations, the program might have had to shut down until fund-raising could happen again. Manchester has had such a remarkable amount of growth in the program, that the original funds raised just didn’t last as projected … which is exactly what organizers were hoping to see.

“As a whole, most programs only see 60 percent of the population sign up and that takes almost five years,” said Shannon Brown, one of the Manchester organizers. “In just seven months, we have seen sign ups reach levels we hadn’t expected to see for four years.”

If you have a child from birth to age 5 who is not enrolled, you can still sign up! you can go to https://imaginationlibrary.com/ and sign up or email Brown at manchestermiimaginationlibrary@gmail.com.

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.