Dolly Parton Headed To Ohio To Celebrate Success Of 'Imagination Library'

Country music queen Dolly Parton is headed to Ohio to celebrate the success of her Imagination Library program, according to WFMJ News.

Dolly's Imagination Library of Ohio and Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine are welcoming Parton on August 9 to honor the singer. DeWine will host a luncheon at the Archie Griffin Ballroom in Columbus at noon.

Dolly's Imagination Library puts books into the hands of young readers all over the nation to inspire "a love of reading," according to the website. The program was inspired by Parton's father's inability to read and write.

The program mails kids one brand-new, age-appropriate book each month until their fifth birthday. In addition, some of the books are bilingual. Ohio children are eligible to be enrolled in the program at no cost to their families. As of this writing, 327,743 kids are enrolled in Ohio's Imagination Library, which is about 45 percent of eligible children between birth and the age of 5.

The Imaginary Library team helps administer the program in Columbiana County, builds local partnerships and covers half of the cost of the books every month, according to Lisa Wallace, co-director of the Brightside Project. For more information about Dolly's Imagination Library, head here.