From left, Bataan Memorial Primary School Principal, Kendra Van Doren; DPIL of Ohio Regional Director, Northern Ohio, Missy Timko; Ottawa County DPIL Steering Committee Chair, Ed Carlson; and Early Childhood Consultant with State Support Team 1, Heather Gaskins, were featured at the April 8 event at the Camp Perry Conference Center. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

BY SHERI TRUSTY

PORT CLINTON – A year after Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) spread across Ohio in 2019, Ottawa County embraced the program through a partnership with the United Way of Greater Toledo. DPIL mails free to books to every registered child from birth through five years old as a means to support early childhood literacy. Ohio prioritized the program, which is available to all its young children without regard to income, and today, the state has more children registered than any other state in the country, with 63% statewide enrollment.

Ottawa County’s success is even better, with 72% countywide enrollment, but the future of the program in the county is at a crossroads. The United Way is shifting from managing the local program to supporting a local 501(c)(3) dedicated to operating DPIL in Ottawa County.

From left, Ottawa County Health Department Health Educator, Malik Unis; Magruder Hospital Community Health Worker, Marsie McLaury; Grand Love Coordinator Judy Peters; Grand Love Tutor Mary Ann Widmer; and Ottawa County DPIL Steering Committee Member, Brenda Brahier, discuss ideas to help support the Imagination Library during a Table Talk portion of the event. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

On April 8, the Ottawa County DPIL Steering Committee hosted a public informational session at the Camp Perry Lodging and Conference Center to help brainstorm and network with the goal of keeping the program thriving for local children.

“The Ottawa County steering committee is researching a new program partner and fundraising options,” said Ottawa County DPIL Steering Committee Chair, Ed Carlson.

The local program partner would manage enrollment, track data, fundraise, and support the early childhood literacy initiative. Criteria for a perfect partner is a strong interest in the program and its goals, the ability to prioritize DPIL in Ottawa County, fundraising experience, credibility in Ottawa County and with the United Way of Greater Toledo, and the capacity to serve the whole county.

Imagination Library in Ottawa County has an enrollment rate of 72%, but supporters want to bring that number to 100%. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

“We’re still looking for a partner that meets these criteria, so we may form a new 501(c)(3),” Carlson said. “We hope to have a final decision by the end of the summer.”

The April 8 event included speakers Missy Timko, the DPIL of Ohio Regional Director, Northern Ohio; Heather Gaskins, Early Childhood Consultant with State Support Team 1; and Bataan Memorial Primary School Principal, Kendra Van Doren. They each spoke about why DPIL is a vital resource for supporting childhood literacy.

“Eighty percent of a child’s brain is developed by age three,” Timko said. “If there are at least ten books in the home, a child is more likely to complete two more years of education.”

Reading to young children helps boost kindergarten readiness, giving them a strong foundation for academic success.

“We know we have to start at birth,” said, Heather Gaskins. “By the time they hit kindergarten, it’s too late. When a teen struggles with language, we can follow that back to early literacy.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio mails free books to any child in the state age birth to five. (Photo by Sheri Trusty)

By supporting DPIL in Ottawa County, local residents and businesses are supporting the school’s efforts to strengthen childhood literacy.

“We’re talking today about what we have to do to get them ready for kindergarten, but our world is – they are coming, whether they are ready or not,” Van Doren said.

Bataan annually assesses incoming kindergarteners for letter and sound recognition. In 2021, 26% of kindergartners were at or above kindergarten readiness levels. In 2025, that number jumped to 74%. There are many factors that contributed to the increase, including the Covid shutdowns that kept children out of school, but there is also the influence of Ottawa County’s 2020 enrollment in DPIL.

“We want to catch them as soon as we can,” Van Doren said.

The Ottawa County DPIL Steering Committee hopes the community will embrace the program and offer support through volunteerism and financial donations. The local cost for a book and postage is $2.60 per month per child. Steering Committee member Alison Lanza Falls expressed gratitude for the many people representing many local organizations who attended the meeting.

“Right here is the future,” she said. “Everyone here will be a part of the next phase of Imagination Library in Ottawa County.”