EMMIE BOESE
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Amanda Vega has a goal as the new Dolly Parton Imagination Library Coordinator for Reno and Stafford County. Vega said she became the new coordinator about three weeks ago.
"My whole goal is to start getting more bilingual books into the hands of daycares and different kinds of clinics, and the health department," Vega said.
Vega is a speaker of English, Spanish and ASL. There are about 100 bilingual children signed up for the Imagination Library in Reno County.
Parents and guardians have the option to receive Spanish and English literature when they sign their child up for the program. This is regardless if they are bilingual speakers or not.
"Books that are bilingual, have really good stories," Vega said.
Vega is also the United Way office assistant and a mother of five. She said her youngest child receives books from the library in the mail.
"It's important because if you can start kids from 0-5 years old... if you can get them to start reading, you are better preparing them for pre-k and kindergarten," Vega said. "They are getting 65 books by the time they reach the age of 5. So that is 64 ways for them to meet new imaginations like meet new people and just experience more literature."
There are 2,213 children that are signed up for the program in Reno County and 73 signed up in Stafford County.
The imagination library launched in 1995 in Parton's hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee. In 2022, two million books were mailed each month globally.
Sign up information for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is available at United Way of Reno County. A direct sign up link to the imagination library website is also provided here.
United Way can also register a child over the phone by calling (620) 669-9329.
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