News

The imagination of books

By Scott Wagar

12/20/2011

First Lady Betsy Dalrymple was scheduled to be in Bottineau on Tuesday afternoon to promote her initiative program, Imagination Library; however, she was unable to make her appearance at the Holwell Auditorium due to poor weather conditions.

Dalrymple, who made an appearance in Rugby on Wednesday morning, flew from Rugby to Bottineau in the afternoon, but once in Bottineau’s airspace her plane wasn’t able to land because of heavy fog in the area, and her plane was re-routed back to Bismarck.   
Taking Dalrymple’s place for the event was Bottineau High School’s social science teacher, Mary Grosgebauer, who is attempting to establish the Imagination Library program in the local area.

“I’m very excited about Imagination Library, it’s a program that will allow children to grow very rapidly in the literary world,” Grosgebauer said. “And, it gives young kids a real head start in their school years.”

Dolly Parton originated the Imagination Library program in her hometown of Sevier County.

“Dolly wanted to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families. She wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she could insure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income,” stated Imagination Library’s website. “So she decided to mail a brand new, age appropriate book each month to every child under the age of five in Sevier County. With the arrival of every child’s first book, the classic “The Little Engine That Could ™,” every child could now experience the joy of finding their very own book in their mail box. These moments continued each month until the child turns five — and in their very last month in the program they receive “Look Out Kindergarten Here I Come.”

With success of the program in Sevier County, The Dollywood Foundation began considering taking it to other communities.

“Dolly thought long and hard about it and decided her foundation should develop a way for other communities to participate. The foundation asked a blue ribbon panel of experts to select just the right books and secured Penguin Group USA to be the exclusive publisher for the Imagination Library. Moreover a database was built to keep track of the information,” stated imaginationlibrary.com. “Consequently, in March of 2000 she stood at the podium of The National Press Club in Washington, D.C. and revealed the plan for other communities to provide the Imagination Library to their children. And, as only Dolly can say it, she wanted to “put her money where her mouth is – and with such a big mouth that’s a pretty large sum of money.” Parton provides the books herself to the children of Branson, Mo., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., communities where her business now operates.”

Today, the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom have the Imagination Library program, which gives hundreds of thousands of pre-school children books to read and the opportunity to decrease their illiteracy rates in their countries.

Grosgebauer stated during Wednesday’s presentation that research proves that Parton’s reading program assist children in their education.

“Studies have shown that students who are entering kindergarten test much higher who have been part of the Imagination Library program,” Grosgebauer stated. “It has also been proven in studies that there has been a dramatic increase in knowledge because of the program.”

With such powerful statistics, Grosgebauer is making every attempt to bring the literacy program to the local area.

“I’m hoping that in Bottineau County we can get this going because literacy is important to all of us,” she said. “It not only gives the children a heads-up in their early years, but it will make them more productive citizens, and that is what we want in Bottineau County. The more we can do for our children now, the better off they can be later in life.”

The program works by gathering information (name, age, address) of the area children for the Imagination Library program, granting that information to the state, who in turn takes the right steps to get the books to the children each month. The cost of the program is $22 a year, which is the responsibility of the community that makes the decision to participate.   

Grosgebauer stated that to make the program a reality, the local area has to come together and establish a board. The board will assists in fund raising and gathering the children’s information so the kids can receive their books.  

According to Grosgebauer, through the Bottineau County’s auditor’s office there are around 3,000 children in Bottineau County that meet the proper age bracket for the Imagination Library program.

“With these kind of numbers, we would need a firm commitment from local individuals as far as a monetary commitment and in getting the program up and running,” said Grosgebauer, who also stated that she has heard positive comments from people and organization about Imagination Library throughout the county, who have also expressed a desire to see the program move forward.

In a Bottineau Courant interview with the office of First Lady Dalrymple on Thursday morning, there are 14 communities in North Dakota who have the Imagination Library program, which includes Belfield; Bismarck/Mandan; Cass County; Dunseith; Ellendale; Fairmount; Flasher; Fort Totten; Midway Public School District; Napoleon; Theodore Jamerson School at United Tribes Technical College; Washburn; Williston and Wilton.

Dalrymple stated the Imagination Library program is important to her because it exposes children to literature at an early age.

“As a mother, grandmother, former teacher and school board member, I understand the importance of getting children to love books at an early age,” Dalrymple said. “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a terrific program that gives books directly to young children. Early exposure to reading helps prepare children for school and makes them more successful through their lives.”
For Grosgebauer, Parton’s Imagination Library is an opportunity to bring so many gifts to the children of Bottineau County.      

“The Imagination Library program is important to me because I think reading opens the mind and makes you grow,” Grosgebauer said. “Reading also gives you an extra leg up no matter what you do in life.”

Individuals, who are interested in assisting Grosgebauer in establishing the Imagination Library in the local area, can contact her at 228-2121 or through Bottineau High School at 228-2266.

For more information on the Imagination Library program, go to http://www.imaginationlibrary.com/