Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library comes to Asheville Nov. 21

Photo courtesy of program organizers

Press release:

On Saturday, November 21st, the Literacy Council of Buncombe County, in partnership with Buncombe Partnership for Children, will host a kickoff event launching the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at Pack Memorial Library from 1­ to 2 pm, following the Asheville Holiday Parade.

As part of the event, 20 spots to the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program will be raffled off for children under the age of 5 to receive free, age­ appropriate books in the mail each month. The program seeks to positively impact the pre­literacy skills and school readiness of children under the age of 5 in Buncombe County, using Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library books that come pre­selected by a panel of educators.

Parents on their way to Jinglefest following the Asheville Holiday Parade may be particularly interested in attending. “Parents can bring their kids to Pack Memorial Library and rest for a moment, have a healthy snack, sign up to win a spot in the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and sign up for library cards, before heading over to meet Santa and jump in the bounce­houses,” says Ashley Lasher, the Executive Director of the Literacy Council of Buncombe County. The kickoff event will also include a book making craft station and book giveaways donated by Mr. K’s.

Up to 60 Free Books

The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program creates a home library of up to 60 books that instill a love of books and reading from an early age. Participants’ parents will have the opportunity to attend quarterly workshops to learn how to use the books to promote early literacy skills with their children. Parents in need of literacy assistance themselves will be encouraged to receive tutoring through the Literacy Council’s adult programming.

Titles from the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library include The Little Engine that Could, Mother Goose, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Owl and The Pussycat, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Madeline, Corduroy, and many other classic books for children.

In the coming year, the Literacy Council will register 200 children in Buncombe County in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

SHARE
About Alli Marshall
Alli Marshall has lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. She is the winner of the 2016 Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize and the author of the novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," published by Logosophia Books. Follow me @alli_marshall

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.