The Community Foundation and Massanutten Regional Library are teaming up for what they are calling “Dolly’s Read Aloud Tour.” The Community Foundation’s initiative, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, is going on the road; offering community story times for young children at each MRL location in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, weekly from March 22 to April 20.
Community leaders will serve as “guest readers” at each event and will read books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to attendees. Families attending will be encouraged to learn more about signing up for the free Imagination Library program, hear about free library resources, and take pictures with “Dolly” (a cardboard cutout “selfie-station”) at each event.
Guest readers include: Harrisonburg Mayor Deanna Reed; Amber Weatherly of the North River Library Board; Dana Smith of F&M Bank; Grottoes Chief of Police Jason Sullivan; and Angie Pyles of Lakeside Book Company. Each tour date will have a special theme and the books will celebrate that day’s message. The purpose of the tour is to inspire a love for reading and promote the Imagination Library as well as programs accessible through Massanutten Regional Library.
“We’re thrilled to partner with The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County on this fun tour, and the amazing Imagination Library, which encourages the love of reading for everyone,” said Mary Golden Hughes, MRL Director of Advancement. “We’re so encouraged that thousands of children have signed up for the Imagination Library through TCHFR and look forward to supporting these new readers at Massanutten Regional Library for many years to come.”
“It is the Community Foundation’s dream for the Imagination Library to be a deeply-rooted, connected program within Harrisonburg and Rockingham County. Collaborating with Massanutten Regional Library for this reading tour is a step towards realizing that dream. We are grateful to them for helping the Imagination Library reach every local child under five years old and inspire a love for reading from the very start.” – Amanda Bomfim, Director of Marketing and Program Initiatives, TCFHR.
Parents and caregivers are welcome to bring their children of all ages to Dolly’s Read-Aloud tour. For more information, visit Massanutten Regional Library’s website.