Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and the Muskingum County Literacy Council

ZANESVILLE, Ohio – Dolly Parton may be gone, but the Imagination Library and the local organizations that help it run are still here.

The Muskingum County Literacy Council is what Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library calls a local champion. While the families of children up to the age of five do not pay for their monthly book in the mail, the Muskingum County Literacy Council is the one that fits the bill.

“The Dolly Parton Foundation is responsible for the enrollment software and labeling the books and selecting the books. But then, every county in Ohio has to raise the funds to pay for the books,” said Becky Hill, the Muskingum County Literacy Council’s treasurer. “It’s wonderful to see the kids excited to get the books when they go to the mailbox and see the posts that are on Facebook and even my own grandchildren and friends who say how much the kids love this.”

According to Becky Hill, the treasurer for the Muskingum County Literacy Council, around 76% of eligible children in Muskingum County are enrolled in the reading program. You can now enroll your newborn child in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library while filling out the birth certificate.

Hill wanted to take a moment to address families affected by the devastating floods in August.

“… any family that was impacted by the flood that has children that are eligible to receive the books, we would like to replace any books that were lost. So if they could contact me here at the community foundation, they could, I would be happy to meet with them or deliver books to anyone that’s lost their library,” Hill said. “Because it’s important that these kids don’t lose everything in their life, especially that opportunity to learn to read. ”

You can donate to the Muskingum County Literacy Council and support the continuation of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library by visiting the Muskingum County Community Foundation’s website.