by: Kate Sanchez

Thanks to many integral people and institutions in Portales and the surrounding areas, Roosevelt County (and De Baca county) is now an eligible recipient of this book-gifting program, as well. With the United Way of Eastern New Mexico serving as the local affiliate, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will launch this Monday, January 13th, at Produce to People, a monthly food distribution in Portales. Paper registration will begin there, but forms will also be made easily available at local libraries, Head Starts, senior citizen centers, as well as WIC offices and the like. Online registration is also encouraged for those who can’t make it to one of the physical locations. Visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/nmroosevelt/ for more information and to sign a child up, or call 211 to visit with a representative from United Way.

As previously mentioned, signing up is easy and comes with no stipulations or qualifications. This program is free to all children, ages birth to five. Another perk is that a legal residence (address) is not required for registration. No matter the home situation, whether children stay with someone else or have a primary caregiver outside of the home, books can be sent to whatever address best fits the needs of that particular child. And no matter the family’s financial situation every child in the qualifying age bracket is eligible to be part of Imagination Library. When signing up, please be confident in knowing that the information will not be used in anyway other than becoming eligible for the book-gifting program. No one else will access your information to use in anyway outside of this.

It’s because of several hard-working people and organizations that this was made possible for Roosevelt County. The idea to bring Imagination Library to the area began when Edwina Gower, local resident and wife to ENMU President, Dr Jeff Elwell, was included in an email about the program. As she became more educated on it, Gower reached out to Erinn Burch, Executive Director at the United Way of Eastern NM to inquire about the United Way becoming the local affiliate for the Imagination Library in the area, as all are required to do, and must have 501(c)(3) qualification. The United Way agreed to become the local affiliate and basically the structure under which the program would function; the “boots on the ground”, if you will.

While Gower calls herself, “just one leg of the relay,” in a race that many were involved in, she is credited with being a fundraiser, cheerleader, and communicator in the program’s berth in Roosevelt County. She says that many individuals contributed to the work being put in to make this happen, one of which is Gay Su Pinnell, a Portales High and ENMU graduate. Pinnell earned her master’s and PHD at the Ohio State University and later went on to become Professor Emerita in the School of Teaching and Learning at The Ohio State University, as well a renowned author and member of the Reading Hall of Fame. While always being charitable and generous to the area, Gower says Pinnell’s role and financial support behind employing this program was especially crucial. “She was a god-send,” Gower says.

Burch agrees that the amount of helping hands has been amazing and everyone involved is being intentional to bring literature to area children. “We want to be sure to reach out to those in the rural communities, like Dora, Elida, and those areas, so word of mouth will really help,” she shares. But, for Burch, this is something that will leave a lasting impression on all involved. “It’s just the beginning of a lifelong commitment from the community and we are excited to make this possible,” she adds.

More than anything, Burch and Gower, along with other volunteers involved, hope that launching Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library locally will truly help to spur a passion for reading in the area’s youngest people. “I feel like books spark the imagination and foster a love of reading, all while bonding a family and growing the brains of our youngest citizens,” Burch shares, “We want to bring the excitement of books to all kids.”

For additional information, visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/nmroosevelt/ or call 211. Volunteers to help with the efforts are also welcomed and appreciated, as well.