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Former East Side Elementary School teacher Summer Fleenor and her sons, Owen, Tate, and Max, enjoy reading one of the many books they’ve received through the Imagination Library program. Research shows that children who read on grade level by the end of third grade are more likely to meet and exceed academic expectations. Programs like the Imagination Library play a vital role in fostering a love of reading in children.

The Imagination Library provides each enrolled child, from birth to age 5, with one book per month at no cost to the family, regardless of income. These books are new, high quality, age-appropriate, and among the best available for preschoolers. With 91.43% of Carter County children enrolled, the program sends out over 2,200 books monthly to children in Carter County and Elizabethton City, making it the third-largest Imagination Library program in Tennessee. The local board aims for 100% participation.

Although Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library, her Dollywood Foundation is responsible only for organization, book selection, and volume purchasing. Half of the funding is provided by the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, while the remaining $2,500 monthly cost is covered by the Carter County/Elizabethton City Imagination Library Board. Contributions from the community are welcomed and greatly appreciated.

The Imagination Library Community Awareness Committee includes members Kathy Bowman, Catherine Edwards Bunton, Pam Egeler, Gaye Lee Jones, Dr. Billye Joyce Fine (Chairman), and Creola Miller (President).