Sean C. Morgan
Every Sweet Home child age 4 or younger is eligible to receive a free book once a month.
Over five years, children who participate can build a 60-book library, beginning with the classic “The Little Engine That Could” and ranging across a wide variety of titles, provided by the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Any children of the appropriate age in Linn County are eligible.
“It’s open to anyone,” said Gina Riley, Sweet Home Police Department community services officer. “The people who are going to take advantage of this are the ones who want their children to do well.”
By the time children reach age 5, they’ll have a good-sized library of their own, said Greg Roe, executive director of Linn County United Way.
“What we’re really focusing on are the low-income kids,” Roe said. “But everybody can sign up.”
The program is a partnership between the United Way of Linn County and Sweet Home Rotary Club, with funding provided by the Oregon Community Foundation.
It started in Albany in September, Roe said. It became active in Sweet Home in January.
“It’s a dream to get this going,” Roe said. He didn’t expect to find the funding, but the Oregon Community Foundation was instrumental in securing funding.
“There are so many families in our community that can’t afford books,” said Larry Horton, retired superintendent and member of the Rotary Club.
Horton was instrumental in bringing the program to Sweet Home, Roe said.
Some 1,200 children are signed up in Linn County, 72 of them in Sweet Home, Roe said.
Nearly every school district in Linn County has been below average for reading among children kindergarten-aged and younger. Youngsters are starting school below the state average.
“If kids aren’t reading by third grade, they’re in big trouble,” Roe said.
“Research shows if they’re not reading by the end of the third grade, they really won’t finish high school,” Horton said. The best way to help children read is to put books in their hands.
Central Linn is the only district that has not been below the state average, Roe said. It has already been using the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
“I am very, very pleased the kids in our community are going to have access to these books,” Horton said.
Teachers will like this program, Roe said, because each child will be familiar with the same books. Teachers will be able to put together lessons and activities based on the books if they choose to. Children who’ve participated in the program will already be familiar with the books they use.
Anyone interested in signing up for the program can pick up an application at Sweet Home Police Department, 1950 Main St.
Online, parents may sign up at unitedwayoflinncounty.org. Once at the site, click on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library logo near the top left part of the screen (in a PC-based browser).