Imagination Library awarded $25,000 grant

Putnam County’s Imagination Library program was recently awarded a $25,000 grant for its book mailings this year. Present for the check presentation are (from left) PCPL Director Matt McClelland, United Way Executive Director Chris Flegal, Friends of the Library President Gwen Morris and Imagination Library Chairperson Cathryn Ensley.

Courtesy photo

After an almost yearlong pause, the Friends of the Putnam County Public Library’s Imagination Library program will resume with a $25,000 grant from United Way of Putnam County.

The program allows any Putnam County child between birth to the age of five to sign up and receive a free book every month.

Last year, the organization announced a pause to the program due to a lack of funding as COVID-19 restrictions prevented it from hosting the annual Touch-a-Truck fundraising event last year. The 2019 event was canceled due to inclement weather.

The grant means children can enroll as soon as the Friends of the Library reactivate their membership with Imagination Library’s national chapter, which could come as soon as late April. However, the first books will not hit mailboxes until early summer.

Currently, 678 children are enrolled in Imagination Library in Putnam County.

“The Friends of the Putnam County Public Library are beyond appreciative to the United Way for this grant,” said Cathryn Ensley, who chairs the local Imagination Library effort. “We are grateful that the United Way sees such value in what we are doing, allowing Putnam County children to be ready to read when they go to kindergarten and, more importantly, making the comfort of a good book a reality in what has been a challenging year for many children.”

Ensley noted that 85,750 books have been mailed since the local program’s start in 2011.

Since its inception in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has, to date, sent out more than 150 million free, high-quality books around the world to children regardless of their family’s income.

Families may sign up for Imagination Library of Putnam County at https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/INPUTNAM. Questions about the program may be directed to Ensley at ccensley@gmail.com.