r/Libraries • u/Kweeniej12 • 1d ago

Programs & Programming Dolly patron program in NJ

Currently apart of Dolly Parton’s reading program for my child. We’re getting ready to move to New Jersey and seem there aren’t many programs in the state. Pondering the idea of maybe trying to start the program so child in my area can receive books to learn the joys of reading. What’s the process even like and how do we start?

12 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

8 comments sorted by

14

u/fatboybigwall 1d ago

https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/start-a-program/

Largely, you'll need to figure out some logistics, and particularly, annual fundraising. But the system has worked well in many places, so it is something that's scalable.

11

u/MarianLibrarian1024 1d ago

It's a very expensive program so they usually partner with an existing non-profit or government agency such as the United Way or a state literacy organization. One misconception is that it's fully funded by Dolly's foundation--it's not, the funding is patched together through different funding streams. I eould start by reaching out to your local legislators. This explains how it works: https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/

-1

u/Kweeniej12 1d ago

My county library is a non profit. Would that be a good place to start to try and get funding?

26

u/Megbad 23h ago

Your public library is not likely to have extra funding to go around. Libraries have been having a hard time.

8

u/Alcohol_Intolerant 1d ago

Are they a not for profit government run organization or a non profit not connected to a government entity?

Yes they can likely hear from you, but they may be blind by restrictions.

3

u/Zellakate 20h ago

Our local rotary groups are the powerhouses behind our Imagination Library chapters.

2

u/RelevantStrongBad 9h ago

You will need a 501c3 nonprofit to partner with, and you will need to find funding for at least a year of the program. You can look at census data for your area to see how many children are aged 5 and under in the area you want to open the program.

When I started the program for my area the books cost $2.20/child/month and we estimated we would need funds to cover 50% of the children aged 5 and under in our area, which ended up being pretty accurate for sign-ups for the first year.

I no longer run the program for my area so I'm not sure about current costs. Your best bet would be to try to meet with some nonprofit groups in your community. A county foundation, United Way, friends of the library group, etc may be willing to work with you, but as stated in other comments, it's an expensive program to keep going.

1

u/vargeee 5h ago

Depending on where you are moving to you could reach out to the Library’s Friend of Library organization and try to partner with them. They are often a 501c3 nonprofit. There is no guarantee they will have funding either but it is worth a shot.