Mayor Pulse Recognizes September 26, 2023, as Imagination Library Day
Mayor Todd Pulse recognized Tuesday, September 26, 2023, as Imagination Library Day in Hardeman County in celebration of Hardeman County reaching the highest county enrollment rate across the state.
The Hardeman County Imagination Library (HCIL) currently serves 96 percent of the age-eligible population in the county. The program is one of 95 county affiliates of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Tennessee and was recognized by Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, the statewide sustaining partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, in April for this enrollment milestone. The program currently mails books to 1,129 birth to age five children in Hardeman County each month and has delivered over 153,000 books since its inception in 2006.
Several people who were part of bringing the Imagination Library to Hardeman County were present at the proclamation that included Monroe Woods, Hardeman County Coordinator of the HCIL.
“This is a special day in Hardeman County,” said Monroe Woods.
Mayor Willie Spencer who was the mayor of Hardeman County in 2006 and presented the idea to the commissioners of bringing the HCIL to the county shared what he believes is the purpose of the program.
“Not just teaching kids words, how to read a sentence, but also how to comprehend what they already know. Our hope is that parents would not only receive the books, work with their kids, there are no guarantees that they will, but the hope is that they will do it,” said Mayor Spencer. “I made it important not only to my kids, but also my grandkids . . . and now my great grandkids. They love reading.”
Woods introduced Representative Johnny Shaw who has been a strong supporter of the HCIL.
“This is the kind of thing that never makes the six o’clock news. You hear so many negative things about what goes on in the legislature and true enough, I guess we earn that criticism to last me months, however every day, so many good things get done in the legislature that you don’t ever hear much about. I remember signing onto this resolution when it first came about. It is an opportunity for kids,” said Shaw.
Representative Shaw continued as he encouraged all in attendance to “do some extra campaigning” to promote the Imagination Library program.
“Make sure all of the families know how important it is to get their kids involved in program. If you can’t read, you cannot learn,” said Shaw.
Monroe Woods, Coordinator of the HCIL, shared how Gladis Thomas, one of the original HCIL board members, would go to Walmart with registration applications, follow families around the store, and get them signed up.
“If we can get our children in the habit of reading early on, it prepares them for life, a whole different direction. Education gives you a lot of options. If you have an education, you have a lot of choices to make, good choices. Reading gives you a strong base,” said Woods.
To volunteer or get involved with the Hardeman County Imagination Library, contact Monroe Woods, Hardeman County Coordinator, at (731) 609-3906 or e-mail montenn@aol.com. To donate online, go to https://www.governorsfoundation.org/give. Be sure to specify Hardeman County to designate your donation to the local program. To enroll your child, visit https://www.governorsfoundation.org/enroll.
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