
Dolly Parton Gives a Library of 100M Books (2018) - jmsflknr
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/03/01/589912466/dolly-parton-gives-the-gift-of-literacy-a-library-of-100-million-books
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patwolf
We've been getting books from Imagination Library for a couple years have
really enjoyed the service. It's easy to get into the routine of reading the
same books over and over to kids. This at least gives us some variety and is
obviously much cheaper than something like Amazon's Prime Book Box.

I do feel guilty at times because we aren't in financial need of the books.
However, I do plan on donating back to Imagination Library, which will
probably more than cover the cost of the books they've sent us over the years.
Maybe that's part of their reasoning for not making the program dependent on
financial need.

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noneeeed
Don't feel guilty. The other thing you can do is donate those books forward
(assuming they've not completely fallen apart), to a community library, or a
local school. Children's books, especially for younger kids, can take a real
battering, so new supply is often welcome.

My son's primary school has a really extensive collection of books you can
borrow, all of them donated by past parents. They have them on displays
outside the appropriate classrooms and you just take whichever ones you want
and bring them back when you are done with them. No need to check them out.

One of the reasons projects like this don't always means-test is because it
puts people off asking. A lot of people see it as shameful, it can be invasive
and more time-consumeing, having to say "I'm poor, here's the paperwork and
supporting documents to prove it, please give me help". In addition, the
savings from limiting it are often partially or totally outweighed by the
additional cost of all that beauracracy.

In the UK there is an additional payment that goes to all pensioners in winter
to help with the cost of heating. It's automatic because there was a real
likelihood that making it means tested would simply mean that many who could
benefit would never apply and the admin would cost more than was saved. I
think it was the same argument for making school meals free for all kids for
the first few years.

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throwaway5752
She's relatively quiet about her philanthropy, but Dolly Parton came from deep
poverty and she's done a lot for the region she grew up in (Sevier County, TN)
and for childhood literacy.

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pfranz
It sounds like a really great program. Unfortunately, when I tried to sign up
it wasn't available in my area. It wasn't really clear why until I read this
article which says, "available in communities where a local partner has teamed
up with the Imagination Library." I wished they had at least offered some sort
of suggestion or mailing list for those who they can't service. I could likely
afford to buy a book each month, but don't have the time to spend researching
which ones are worth buying.

Similarly, my pediatrician hands out an age-appropriate book at each visit.

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themodelplumber
Our local (rural) community foundation signed up, in case there is one near
you under which you'd like to light a spark.

My kids got those books for years and it was fun and nice to come home to such
a generous and quality gift. But the library, library book sales, and other
local sources like garage sales or credit-swapping consignment shops are also
enough alone around here to pile the books quite high. In addition, screen
time is absolutely wicked these days compared to when I was a kid. Hoopla is
amazing, as are the various sandbox games in which you can mine, farm, build,
design, and just explore. I grew up glued to the computer so I take a pretty
"whatev" approach as long as I know the screen-activity characteristics are
broadly "good" or better yet "fitting for my kid's psychological needs".

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pfranz
Yeah, the library is a great resource. Another parent and I were talking the
other week about handing-down books, but young kids are absolutely brutal with
books. There are books I've already bought 2-3 times. I do look forward to
donating the books that have survived to my local library or to another family
when he outgrows them.

The thing I really like about this program, that I have a difficult time doing
in my own, is a regular age-appropriate book. It's hard to remind yourself
every few weeks to try something new. When you think of books you liked as a
kid, like "there's a monster at the end of this book," isn't always at the
right level for your child and I always err on what he liked yesterday not
really knowing what he'll grow into next.

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setgree
Not totally on-topic, but I love photos of kids this age (4-6?) listening to
adults reading books. I strive for that kind of uninterrupted engagement and
wonder.

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watersb
Seriously, I love Dolly Parton. To me, she represents everything good about
the place I was born, with grace, humility, and compassionate absurdity in
equal measure.

(If you've ever toured as a musician, the compassionate absurdity part comes
in handy.)

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coldtea
100M books? Who knew Dolly Parton was so well read?

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acqq
> 100M books? Who knew Dolly Parton was so well read?

Who knew somebody didn't read the article?

"Parton visited the Library of Congress on Tuesday to celebrate a major
milestone in the Imagination Library's history: delivery of its 100 millionth
book. Not bad for a program Parton founded more than two decades ago as a
small, local effort to help kids in her native Sevier County, Tennessee."

"Every month, the nonprofit program mails a free book to more than a million
children — from infants to preschoolers."

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keypusher
> Any child from birth to 5 — before they head off to kindergarten — is
> eligible.

Her original goal was to improve literacy rates. Targeting children under 5
seems like a strange way to approach this. Reading to your kids is great, and
there is some evidence it might help, but if you want kids to read then
getting great books into hands of 5-10 year olds seem like it would help more.

Despite coming from a very well-read family, and having been read to at an
early age, I resisted reading at a young age. I just wasn't interested in it,
and preferred doing other things. It wasn't until 4th grade where I found a
copy of 'A Book Dragon' somewhere and fell in love with it. Despite probably
being above my reading level at the time, I struggled through it and then went
on to devour just about every fantasy book I could get my hands on, becoming
an avid general reader in the process. The right book can really make all the
difference.

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Tor3
My father (accidentally) taught me to read by reading for me when I was
little. At the age of 5 I one day asked him to please turn the page, even
though he had just started the page. I had already read it and wanted to
continue on the next page. That's the day he stopped reading for me, I
continued by myself after that. I learned to read by watching what he was
reading.

As to 'there is some evidence it might help' (with reading), there's the
other, very important part: Being read to turns on your inner movie, your
ability to imagine. I still remember the children's hour on Saturday afternoon
radio when I was little. The stories unfolded in my brain, and it's true that
radio (and books) come with much better pictures than TV, but you need to
practice from an early age in order to develop the best of that ability. Thus:
Read to children. I applaud Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program. I had
no idea she was doing that.

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zoom6628
Beautiful story that a parallels my own. Dad worked from home, so read to me
as I sat on his knee. By the time was at preschool could already read quite a
lot. A gift that has stayed with me for life as someone who starts to reads
most anything within reach.

