KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Amid the uncertainties surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Knox County has continued to make sure children still receive a new, free book every month.
The organization said it continues to mail nearly 20,000 books each month to all eligible and registered children thanks to the hard work of its dedicated staff and local postal workers.
It recently announced a new way to get books into the hands of families in the community.
Imagination Library said it partnered with Pinnacle at Turkey Creek to open a Little Free Library outside Bed Bath & Beyond on Monday afternoon.
The organization said Little Free Libraries function on an honor system: readers take a family-friendly book from the box and then are encouraged to replace it with another book when they can.
Reading initiatives like this partnership are imperative, especially in times such as these, to encourage early literacy within the community, according to Imagination Library.
Nearly eight in 10 children from birth to age five in Knox County are enrolled in the program, according to Imagination Library. Since the program started in 2005, we have mailed more than three million books in Knox County.
Imagination Library of Knox County said it has also decided to throw its Seeds of Imagination Luncheon virtually. The event, scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 17, will honor Nick Geidner, who produced and directed the documentary, The Library that Dolly Built.