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Maine State Library LibGuides: Imagination Library

Welcome to the Maine State Library LibGuides! We strive to include as much useful and up-to-date information as possible. If you aren't able to find what you're looking for or discover something that requires updating, please let us know!

DPIL Comes to Maine!

Contact:

Nancy McGinnis, Imagination Librarian
nancy.mcginnis@maine.gov
207-530-7096

Beth Crist, Special Projects Director
beth.crist@maine.gov
207-816-2999

Imagination Library of Maine

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is expanding in Maine! Through this program, infants, toddlers, and children under 5 years old in fully-funded areas can receive a carefully selected new book each month, mailed directly to their home, free to each family!

The program may not be available in your area yet; we are working to expand it across the state so that all kids under 5 will be eligible. It will take time but we will reach that goal, especially with your help!

Library staff can support this effort in so many ways!

Imagination Library Information

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library puts books into the hands and hearts of children across the U.S. and four other countries. The program partners with states and local communities to provide an age-appropriate, high-quality book each month to registered children from birth to age five. The books are mailed directly to children’s homes, free to families. Each book includes reading tips for that specific title, and the child’s name is printed on the label. 

Thanks to our state legislators, Maine is contributing a one-to-one match for the program, with the goal of expanding it statewide. The Maine State Library is administering the program at the state level. A local program, called an affiliate, must be in place to provide funding and support before children are eligible in a given area. Currently, there are local programs covering six counties in Maine (Aroostook, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Waldo, and Washington), and portions of four others (Hancock, Franklin, Cumberland, and York). As the program is now statewide, all new affiliates must cover an entire county.

For librarians in Aroostook, Knox, Oxford, Penobscot, Waldo, and Washington Counties:

Imagination Library is available throughout your county and all kids birth up to their fifth birthdays are eligible! Please help us get the word out to parents and caregivers that they can sign up their kids for this program that is entirely FREE to them! Here are just a few ideas:

  • Promote it! 
    • Post the flyer customized for your county below in your library and widely throughout your community: stores of all kinds, the post office, barber shops, community centers, all of your library partners’ venues, food banks, WIC offices and all other social service offices, farmers markets, medical facilities, schools, preschools, Little Free Libraries, StoryWalks, etc.!!
    • Post information on your library’s website, social media and newsletter.
    • Tell your friends and colleagues, and ask them to tell everyone they know! Word of mouth is a powerful promotional tool!
  • Help parents/caregivers sign up at your library and throughout your community.
  • Partner with relevant organizations to get the word out.
  • Display Imagination Library books and select them to read aloud at storytimes. Find this year’s book list at https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/book-list/.
  • Refer parents and caregivers to this resource page on the Imagination Library website: https://imaginationlibrary.com/news-resources/parent-resources/ (and print out some activity and coloring sheets for your library while you’re there!).

Customized PR materials are available for these areas that are currently covered:

  • Aroostook County
  • Knox County
  • Oxford County
  • Penobscot County
  • Waldo County
  • Washington County

Thank your sponsors! Here are some ideas:

  • Feature them on the Imagination Library portion of your website
  • Thank them in your social media
  • Thank them at relevant events such as a kickoff event
  • Invite their staff to storytimes at different libraries (and preschools, farmers markets, health clinics, etc) to sign kids up on the spot--and maybe read one of this year’s DPIL books during the event as a guest reader
  • Include their logo on flyers and posters promoting the program
  • Include a quote from their director in the press release about the program (and additional media coverage)