The Moose Jaw Literacy Network, with several community partners, is bringing the Dolly Parton Imagination Library book gifting program to Moose Jaw in early August.
Christine Boyczuk, the coordinator for the Moose Jaw Literacy Network (MJLN), said that the MJLN and its partners are working to calculate how many children they can get on the program with the funding they have so far. They are still fundraising to be able to support as many children as possible, with the goal of having funds in hand to guarantee a full five years for each child they enroll.
“There’s a bit of calculation involved,” Boyczuk explained. “If we begin a child at a certain age, say at birth, we would want them to have the five-year gift.”
Dolly Parton set up her Imagination Library in honour of her father, who, while smart and hard-working, was unable to read or write. Parton hopes her library inspires a lifelong love of learning.
The program is for children aged 0-5. Each enrolled child will receive one book per month until their fifth birthday. Each book is selected carefully by a panel of early childhood literacy experts and is personally addressed to its new owner.
The cost is $3.55 per child per month: $43 per year, or $215 for five years.
Boyczuk said they hope to enroll 300 children, and said the books were all wonderful and the price is incredible.
“I probably couldn’t buy one for under $10,” she added. “This is a worldwide program, and the books are selected based on children’s age and the region in which they live.”
Several Moose Jaw partners will help administer the program. The pool of money to be drawn from each month is controlled by the Moose Jaw & District Chamber of Commerce. The Early Years Family Centre will be enrolling children, and Spectra Venue Management, which oversees Mosaic Place, has pledged to help advocate for and publicize the opportunity.
A child enrolled in the program at birth would have a library of up to 60 books by their fifth birthday. Exposure to a wide range of literature at an early age develops communication abilities and cognitive, emotional, and social skills that give children an advantage that is difficult to overstate.
“In Saskatchewan, we know how important early learning and literacy are for families, for communities, and for our province,” said Phaedra Hitchings, Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Literacy Network. “Learning starts at home. Reading and sharing stories together builds strong families and lifelong love of learning.”
Ryan MacIvor, Spectra’s District General Manager for Mosaic Place, said that he has seen the benefits of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for his own kids.
“My children have loved all the books, and we continue to read them again and again,” MacIvor said. “It’s a fun day when the mail comes and a book is addressed to the child in their name. And it’s a great opportunity for the parents and the child to sit and read the story and talk about the pictures and really engage the child in that early childhood literacy.”
Read more about the Imagination Library at imaginationlibrary.com/ca/.
