When reacting to the breaking news of Dolly Parton’s passing on Wednesday’s episode of City Cast Las Vegas, we referenced the singer’s commitment to childhood literacy with her Imagination Library, a program that’s brought books to more than 3 million youngsters under five years old since 1995. A local affiliate, Storied Kids, was forced to take a 10-month pause last October after the Nevada legislature failed to renew a grant to help fund it, but the situation is turning around.
"We have spent the last year applying for grants at the local and state level and were able to resume the program last month on a much smaller scale, thanks to private donations, grants from the Vegas Golden Knights Foundation, Speedway Children’s Charities, and others," said Meredith Helmick of Storied Kids. "We are still working towards funding on a state-wide level and hope to be involved in the next legislative session."
- Storied Kids has provided books to more than 18,000 Clark County children.
- Nevada isn’t alone. Lawmakers in Indiana, Missouri, and other states have cut or reduced funding to support the Imagination Library.
- For perspective: One in seven children in the U.S. under the age of 5 receives a book in the mail each month from the program.
The Las Vegas-Clark County Library District hasn't participated in Dolly Parton's literacy programs, but shares a common mission of making books available to young readers.
"Dolly's fans already know her passion for inspiring the love of reading, and what better way to continue her legacy than by supporting your neighborhood public libraries," Executive Director Kelvin Watson said. "Take advantage of free resources and events that promote literacy, from programs like 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, Kickoff to Kindergarten, Winter Reading Challenge and Summer Challenge, tutoring programs, storytimes and much more. We also offer programs to improve skills for teens and adults."
If you need more incentive, September is Library Card Sign-Up Month, a time when your library card number could be a ticket to win prizes.
