Imagination Library Houston

Contech Control Services is a proud corporate sponsor of Imagination Library Houston, a Texas, non-profit, 501(3)(c) corporation created to bring the programs of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to preschool children in the Houston Gulf Coast Area.

The Incentive

Educators have identified preschool reading and parent involvement as among the most important steps toward a child's success in school.  In support of this proactive approach to help children achieve success in education and in life, Dolly Parton created Imagination Library.

The Program

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library was launched in 1996 for preschoolers in Sevier County, Tennessee, as a gift of encouragement for the children of her Smoky Mountain homeland.

From the day they were born, children who register for the program receive a book every month until their fifth birthday.  Preschoolers currently living in the community may enter the program at any time and begin receiving an age-appropriate book every month until their fifth birthday.  Families with preschool children who move into the community are eligible to register and become part of the program.  Participating families who move out of the community will exit the program at that time.  If a family has more than one preschool age child, each child may participate and receive his/her own library. 

A committee composed of individuals from education, child development, academia, and early childhood literacy selects the books for Dolly's Imagination Library.

In addition each child is given a distinctive, adjustable bookcase (with locomotive and caboose bookends) that is designed to become a family heirloom.  The children's classic, The Little Engine That Could is the first book of each library.  The message of that story was significant in the design of this special bookcase.

The Sevier County Imagination Library has inspired a community effort.  Nursing staff at the local hospital give newborns their first book, The Little Engine That Could, on the day they are born. along with a registration form for the program.   Local pediatricians and family practice physicians also give their preschool patients a "Prescription to Read" at their check-ups.

Learn More

We invite you to learn more about Imagination Library by clicking on:   Imagination Library

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