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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Are the books from SCBFB entirely free or are there “hidden” costs and fees that parents must pay to participate?
The books are provided free to all registered children from birth to age five living in Shelby County. There are no strings attached and parents are not required to pay for the books received or pay any costs to participate in the program. Because of support received from the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation (which funds one-half of the cost of the books), generous donations from the private sector, and fundraising activities of groups such as the League of Extraordinary Teens, every child age 0-5 living in Shelby County can have new books of their very own, at no cost to parents. However, because Shelby County Books from Birth must pay $14 per year per child to cover the costs of the books, we encourage grandparents, other relatives or friends to sponsor a child if they are able.
How do participating children get the books? Are parents required to pick them up?
Each month, a new age-appropriate book is mailed to the child at the home address provided on the registration form. Books with incorrect addresses are not forwarded by the post office but are returned to the post office. Volunteers make every effort to contact parents to schedule a time for them to pick up the returned books from the SCBFB office.
What books are given through the SCBFB Imagination Library program?
The books are new, age-appropriate, hard cover books selected by a team of early childhood education experts appointed by the Dollywood Foundation. Each June, the committee sorts through a world of possibilities to select a quality, diverse and universal collection of titles. A list of each year’s selection of books is shown on the SCBFB website and includes such titles as The Little Engine That Could, Spot Goes to the Farm, Snowy Day, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten. There are 60 books in all if the child is registered at birth.
Are the books available in Spanish?
The books are in English. Several times a year, books in English and Spanish, such as Marcos Counts and Ana Cultivates (Apple Farmer Annie), are mailed to the children.
Can adults other than parents register children for the program?
Registration is best done by a parent or legal guardian to ensure that one child is not unintentionally registered by multiple adults. Since parents or legal guardians are the ones who generally have day-to-day contact with their children, they will likely be the adults responsible for reading the books to the children who enroll.
Is there a family income requirement for participation?
No. Books are provided to registered children from birth to age five regardless of parents’ income. Encouraging reading early in life for all children is the principal goal of Shelby County Books From Birth.
Can more than one child per family receive the books?
Yes, every child under the age of five in the family may receive his/her own library.
If I move out of Shelby County, can my child still participate?
Should you move outside Shelby County, your child automatically exits the SCBFB program; however, if the move is within Tennessee, parents/legal guardians may call toll free 1-877-99BOOKS or go to www.ImaginationLibrary.com and learn how to register your child in your new county-of-residence. If the move is outside Tennessee, go online to www.ImaginationLibrary.com to see if the Imagination Library is available in your new community.
What are the benefits of participating in the program?
There are lots of great benefits to parents and children who participate.
- Build vocabulary. Reading regularly with your child helps him/her learn to read by hearing familiar words and seeing what they look like in print. The more words a child hears, the larger the child’s vocabulary. The larger the child’s vocabulary, the more likely he/she will be a proficient reader.
- Enhance learning. The more you talk and read to your baby, the faster the child will learn. The report of the Commission on Reading states that “the single most important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading is reading aloud to children.”
- Prepare children for success in school. According to a recent study completed by the Tennessee Board of Regents, kindergarten and pre-kindergarten teachers reported that children who had participated in the Imagination Library were “Better prepared” than students who had not participated in the program. Kindergarten teachers rated Imagination Library kindergarten students higher on reading, speaking, thinking and social skills than on non-participating students. (Add link to TBR report)
- Increase the bond between parent and child. Reading to your baby encourages the child to associate reading with love and comfort.
Are there any studies that quantify the impact of the Imagination Library?
There is considerable evidence that reading to your child better prepares him/her to learn to read. In 2003, High/Scope Educational Research Foundation (add link) conducted a national study that revealed between 66%-75% of the recipient families read more to their children after they enrolled in the Imagination Library.
In 2007, the GBBF commissioned the Tennessee Board of Regents (Add link to TBR report) to solicit kindergarten and pre-kindergarten teachers’ professional judgments on the readiness and performance of students who had participated in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library — a program that mails a new, age-appropriate, hardcover book every month to registered children, from birth until age five, at no cost to the family and regardless of income. Responding kindergarten and pre-K teachers collectively affirmed that children who had participated in the Imagination Library were “better prepared” than students who had not participated in the program. On average, Imagination Library participants also exceeded teacher expectations:
- 48% of kindergarten teachers and 64% of pre-K teachers stated that Imagination Library participants performed “better than expected”or “much better than expected” than students from previous classes.
- As compared to only 10% of kindergarten teachers and 11% of pre-K teachers reporting that non-participants performed “better than expected” or “much better than expected.”
Can I sponsor a child or contribute to SCBFB?
Yes! Sponsorships and contributions are welcomed and enable SCBFB to continue to provide quality books free to young children in our community. The program costs $28 per year per child for 12 books. Sponsors contribute $14 to sponsor one child for one year in the program. The Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation pays the remaining cost of providing books in the program. $70 will sponsor a child in the program for five years. If you would like to sponsor a child, go to our donation page or send the name and address of the child you wish to sponsor and a check, payable to ShelbyCounty Books From Birth to:
Shelby County Books From Birth
P.O. BOX 17008
Memphis, TN 38187-0008
If you sponsor a child, an acknowledgement card will be sent to the child’s family notifying them of your generous sponsorship. If you sponsor a child for all five years at the $70 or above level, we will send personalized bookplates to the parent to affix in the books that acknowledge your gift. You can also make an honorarium or a memorial gift in any amount. Please indicate whether it is a gift in honor of someone or in memory of someone and the name of the honoree. Also provide the name of the person that you wish to receive notice of the gift.
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