{"id":1110,"date":"2023-06-05T22:50:55","date_gmt":"2023-06-06T04:50:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sinmurosnewscalifornia.com\/?p=1110"},"modified":"2023-06-05T22:50:55","modified_gmt":"2023-06-06T04:50:55","slug":"dolly-partons-imagination-library-to-be-statewide-in-ca","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sinmurosnewscalifornia.com\/?p=1110","title":{"rendered":"Dolly Parton\u2019s Imagination Library to be Statewide in CA"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"By<\/span> Selen Ozturk<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Starting June 6, millions of Californian children will be eligible to receive a monthly English or Spanish book.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

On Tuesday, June 6, California will launch a statewide Imagination Library Program.<\/p>\n

Through Senate Bill 1183<\/a>, which established the statewide rollout of Dolly Parton\u2019s nonprofit program, every Californian under the age of 5 will be eligible to receive a free monthly book in the mail. The bipartisan bill was written by Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) and Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins (D-San Diego) in partnership with the Dollywood Foundation, and signed by Governor Newsom<\/a> on September 30, 2022.<\/p>\n

California is the 15th and largest state to launch this program statewide, and the first to offer bilingual book options (English and Spanish). The bill allows a one-time $68.2 million state budget fund to launch the program, by which the Imagination Library Foundation under the administration of the California State Library will deliver books through local partners in each county.<\/p>\n

Since Parton established the Imagination Library in her home Tennessee County in 1995, the program has gifted over 186 million books across five countries.<\/p>\n

\u201cBefore he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done,\u201d Parton has said of the program<\/a>. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known, but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Community involvement<\/h2>\n

Greg Lucas, who has been California\u2019s 25th State Librarian since March 2014, said, \u201cOne of the strengths of this program is the community involvement that it fosters \u2026 partners which sign up kids in their community can be a school district, a Friends of the Library, a rotary club or other service organization, or a First 5<\/a> office, to name a few.\u201d<\/p>\n

Of the 2.4 million eligible children across California\u2019s 58 counties, only 1% were enrolled in an existing Imagination Library program in the state when SB1183 was passed in fall 2022, while one out of every 10 children in the country then received a monthly book.<\/p>\n

Lucas said that, before the statewide rollout, the Imagination Library was \u201cavailable to any kid who wanted to join in 20 counties around California \u2026 in about 40 locations.\u201d Now, \u201cThe state will write a check for 50% of the cost of each book that goes to kids. The books are free to kids, but local partners have to come up with the cost of mailing and printing. That\u2019s about $2.60 a month, and now the state is picking up half of that.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Countering the tide of book bans<\/h2>\n

This accessibility comes as a counter to the wave of school and library book bans which, since 2021, has spiked in other states \u2014 particularly Texas and Florida \u2014 to a 20-year high.<\/p>\n

\u201cOf the states that have passed these laws that restrict the sorts of books that can be on shelves and subject librarians to penalties \u2026\u00a0 you can trace back most of these challenges to about 11 people<\/a>,\u201d Lucas said. \u201cSo it isn\u2019t about lots of people supporting the removal of books. It\u2019s a few people creating the fear of having to go through all these challenges in the first place.\u201d<\/p>\n

He continued, \u201cIf you\u2019re a local or school librarian, the school board and other community and parent groups are involved, and the result is that people are reluctant to put the book on the shelf. It creates this climate of fear and self-censorship, which is probably the objective.\u201d<\/p>\n

Governor Gavin Newsom, Attorney General Rob Bonta, and State Superintendent Tony Thurmond sent a joint letter Thursday to school administrators across the state cautioning them against book bans, noting legal mandates around providing access to diverse perspectives and curricula.<\/p>\n

\u201cAccess to books \u2013 including book\"\"s that reflect the diverse experiences and perspectives of Californians, and especially, those that may challenge us to grapple with uncomfortable truths \u2013 is a profound freedom we all must protect and cultivate,\u201d the letter read.<\/p>\n

As for distribution, the Imagination Library chooses books \u2014 all published by Penguin Random House \u2014 through a panel of early childhood learning and reading experts; the first book that each child receives is \u201cThe Little Engine That Could.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCalifornia is the most diverse group of people that have ever been brought together as equals in the history of human civilization,\u201d Lucas said. \u201cOver 200 languages are spoken here. Of course, it\u2019s a challenge to line up local partners to enroll as many of 2.4 million kids as possible to receive books every month until they turn five, but as Dolly Parton says, \u2018You\u2019ll never do a whole lot unless you\u2019re brave enough to try.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBuilding a home library is key to consistently getting books in kids\u2019 hands, and this is key to raising strong readers,\u201d he added. \u201cWhatever the challenges that we face in this \u2014 in the words of Congressman John Lewis \u2014 it\u2019s good trouble.\u201d<\/p>\n

To sign up for local Imagination Library affiliates in the U.S., visit imaginationlibrary.com\/usa\/find-my-program<\/a>. To learn more about the California program, visit imagination.library.ca.gov<\/a>.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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