By Kayla Henson
Columbus County Partnership for Children
The N.C. Partnership for Children is part of a significant expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) program in North Carolina, with the introduction of a new bilingual book collection.
DPIL has fostered a love of reading among children ages birth-to-five by delivering specially selected books to their homes each month since 2017. DPIL is available in every county in North Carolina through the Smart Start Network. Currently, the program reaches 1,654 children birth to age five in Columbus County, but has reached 4,619 since its inception.
As of June 10, participating families can choose between two library book collections—an English collection and a fully bilingual English/Spanish collection.
- English Collection – Primarily English books with an occasional bilingual English/Spanish book.
- Bilingual English/Spanish Collection – Exclusively bilingual English/Spanish books.
This change helps DPIL and CCPC provide equitable access to high-quality children’s literature for Spanish-speaking families across the state.
“The addition of fully bilingual English/Spanish Imagination Library books is a great option for Spanish-speaking families that provides more equitable access to the program. It moves us closer to helping inspire all children to love reading through the gift of Imagination Library books,” says Jeff Conyers, President of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
Amy Cubbage, President of the North Carolina Partnership for Children, also shared her enthusiasm for the new initiative, “This expansion is another great step towards ensuring that every child in North Carolina has access to quality books that foster the skill and love of reading. We are thrilled to be able to reach more children and honor the diverse languages and cultures that make our communities strong.”
Both collections have been carefully curated by the book selection committee to inspire a love of reading, ensuring that every child can develop strong literacy skills from an early age. While some titles will overlap between the collections, there will be unique books specific to each collection mailed out monthly.
To find out more about Smart Start and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library partnership or to register a child in Columbus County, visit columbussmartstart.org or call Gloria Parker-Barr at 910.642.8226.
