SOUTHERN TIER, N.Y. (WENY) -- The United Way of the Southern Tier announced on Wednesday, Jan. 22nd that 300,000 books have made their way into the hands of thousands local children through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. According to the United Way, since 2018, half of all young children in communities across the Southern Tier have gotten a book for free in the mail through the Imagination Library. 

“In September 2018, our first month with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, 395 books were sent to local children,” said Maleaha Smith, president of United Way of the Southern Tier, adding, "This month, 4,635 young children across Chemung and Steuben counties will receive a free book in the mail through the Imagination Library program.”

Since 2018, the United Way of the Southern Tier's chapter of the Imagination Library has reached more than 10,000 local children. Any child who is under the age of five in Chemung, Schuyler, Steuben or Yates Counties can be enrolled regardless of family income at no cost. 

“Dolly Parton says you can’t get too many books in the hands of children, and we wholeheartedly agree,” said Smith, adding “We are proud of our community’s commitment to literacy and our shared vision to empower the next generation of young learners.”

To learn more, including how to register a child with the program, please visit here. 

For more information, please call 607-936-3753 or email [email protected].