Jackson Co Imagination Library Sees Big Turn Around After New Board

The Jackson County Imagination Library has experienced significant growth in its program since restructuring its board.

Chairman John Deane said only 30 percent of eligible children participated in the program at the beginning of the year. Deane said now 75 percent of children in the county take advantage.

“I give a lot of credit to the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation for reaching out to community leaders and asking would you be willing to help revitalize the Imagination Library in Jackson County,” Deane said.

Deane said he helped form a new 12 person board to oversee the program. Deane said the growth started to come after they secured a multi-year grant to start engaging on social media. Deane said they also raised awareness through local events.

“When you get to our level, the incremental improvements are going to get more and more challenging,” Deane said. “We started that campaign three months ago, and we can already see the results from that. In addition, we are planning events throughout the year to build awareness. Coming up in October, we’re going to have a festival held at Wildwood Resort Marina.”

Deane said Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free books to children from birth until they begin school. Deane said children can enroll until they are five-years-old.

“The Little Engine That Could is the first book that we send out,” Deane said. “There’s no cost to enroll. We incur about a $1.70 a book to get it into the hands of the child. We raise that money through the chapter to make that happen at no cost.”