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Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to expanding
Program will cover all of Barton and Pawnee counties
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The United Way of Central Kansas announced that the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to all the zip codes in Barton and Pawnee counties. Pictured left to right at the Pawnee Heights Liberary are Dan Binder, Linda Mounday, Nancy and Kade Holste, Tama Hansen, Nora, Kayla and Mila Josefiak, Traci Nuckolls and Gaila Demel.

In 2018, more than 4,600 books have been sent to more than 400 children monthly through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. A program of the United Way of Central Kansas, it is completely free to those who sign up, but is financially supported by local donors. 

Now, the Imagination Library is getting ready to expand, UWCK Executive Director Gaila Demel said. “United Way of Central Kansas is grateful to our library partners throughout our area who take the lead on the day-to-day operations and enrollment for this program.” 

This program started in the area in 2012 in Larned and Ellinwood. In May 2017, the program was expanded to Hoisington and Otis, and just a month later, it was available to residents in Great Bend. 

Now, with the support of a grant from Golden Belt Community Foundation, UWCK is able to extend this to cover every zip code in Barton and Pawnee counties starting Thursday, Nov. 1. It will go from five communities to 11. 

These new communities include Albert, Burdett, Garfield, Olmitz, Pawnee Rock and Rozel. 

Sign-up sites include: Burdett and Rozel residents at the Pawnee Heights Library in Rozel; Pawnee Rock, Garfield and Larned residents at the Jordaan Library in Larned; Olmitz and Otis at the Otis Community Library; Albert and Great Bend at the Great Bend Public Library; and Hoisington residents at the Hoisington Community Library. 

“This program is supported by United Way of Central Kansas, but would not be possible without every single donation from community members who saw the need for children to have access to books from birth,” Demel said.  

Here’s how the program works.

Every month, each child through age 5 that registers receives a book in the mail. These books are high quality, and are tailored to the child’s age and gender, and range from fun books to books that encourage learning. 

All parents  have to do is prove their residency in one of the covered zip codes and visit the local library to register. Once they are signed up, books will begin arriving in their mailbox monthly, after eight-10 weeks for processing time.

To learn more about the program or to donate to help us continue to support children learning to read, you can visit the website, www.uwck.org/dolly.