“If you can do good, you should.”
Sharon Moreland, director of the Iola Public Library, appreciates the sentiment shared by iconic musician and entertainer Dolly Parton.
She and Jane Works of Humboldt traveled to Overland Park on Monday for an exclusive event to celebrate Parton’s Imagination Library.
The Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund has ensured every child in Kansas from birth to age five can receive free books.
Parton attended the invitation-only event that brought together about 500 supporters of the Imagination Library, early childhood professionals, lawmakers and others to celebrate the new statewide program.
In Allen County, children have been able to get books from the Imagination Library since early 2020, thanks to the efforts of the Iola Rotary Club and local organizations and donors.
Because of their work with the project, the Rotary Club received two tickets to the celebration. Moreland was selected because of her work as a librarian and because she is the club’s president-elect.
“I’ve been following the Imagination Library since it started in 1995. I always encouraged my family to be part of it,” Moreland said.
“As a librarian, anything you can do to support brain development from birth to age 5 is fantastic. There’s also a social-emotional bond when a child is read to by an adult, and there’s cognitive development in hearing language and talking about the book.”
Works attended as one of the earliest donors to Rotary’s program. Early childhood education is important to Works, a former teacher who now owns a preschool.
“I’d heard her (Parton’s) story before and it was great to hear it again,” Works said. “I really enjoyed her singing.”
Gov. Laura Kelly sat down with Parton for a wide-ranging question-and-answer conversation.
Parton presented Kelly with a copy of her book, “Coat of Many Colors,” and concluded the event by singing “Try” and “Coat of Many Colors.”
Kelly gave Parton a gift of a handcrafted piece of copper embellished with the state flower, by Wichita artist Jennifer Walterscheid. The copper was removed from the roof of the Kansas State Capitol building during a 2013 renovation.
Bunker Hill state Rep. Troy Waymaster, a leader in establishing the Kansas program, kicked things off with a discussion of his own experience with the Imagination Library. Each of his children participates. Each will receive an age-appropriate book every month until their 5th birthdays.
