By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has gotten a new lease on life.
On Monday, the Woodlink Library Board approved an arrangement through which the cooperative library service would become the fiscal agent for the program that sends free books to preschoolers throughout the county.
The program had hit a snag when the United Way of Greater Toledo bowed out as the fiscal agent. Michael Penrod, library director of the Wood County District Public Library, said the Imagination Library then needed another county-wide agency to serve in that crucial role.
Now Penrod reports he’s working with United Way and the state office that promotes the program to insure there is no service disruption.
The program was launched in February 2020. The cost is shared by the state and local entities.
At the time, Penrod said, the hope was that the professional fundraisers would help raise the local share. Now that will fall to the local libraries.
The local share of the program is based on the number of children, birth through 5, participating. Of the children eligible in Wood County, 61.4 percent, or 4,201, are participating. That brings the local share up to $55,000.
Penrod said the goal is to reach 65 percent of eligible. That would be an increase of about 250 children, and that would increase the county’s local share by about $5,300.
The Imagination Library sends a free book monthly to enrolled children. All children, birth to 5, are eligible. There are no income guidelines.
[RELATED: Dolly Parton’s free books project starts signing up kids in Wood County]
Penrod said more details about the new arrangement will be discussed when the Library Board of Trustees meets Monday, Nov. 20, at 4 p.m. at the Bowling Green library.
