Knox County Public Library
is very pleased to announce
that Layla Kiffin is joining
the board of Imagination
Library in Knox County.
The program, begun by
Dolly Parton in 1996, sends books in the
mail every month to registered children under
the age of five. Knox County now has over
17,000 children enrolled, or 73% of the eligible
population, making it one of the most
successful urban programs in the country.

Layla Kiffin moved to Knoxville this year
with her husband Lane, who became head
football coach for the University of
Tennessee. They have three small children
under the age of five. “I am looking forward
to being a part of this wonderful program,”
says Kiffin. “Being a mother to young
children, I know first hand the magic of
reading with my kids. I’m excited about
sharing the benefits of reading to children
and encouraging young families to get
involved with this program.”

Imagination Library was launched in
Knox County in January 2005. At that time,
national research showed that 35% of
children entering Kindergarten were not
prepared to begin learning. In essence, they
were behind before they got started.
Pre-literacy skills such as letter and number
recognition, book handling, and
vocabulary building are developed
primarily as a result of being read to.
Imagination Library has been very effective
in encouraging young families to read
together and improving early literacy skills.
Over 700,000 books have been mailed to
Knox County children since the program’s
inception.

“Early childhood education is a key
component of the Knox County Schools
five year strategic plan to achieve our vision
of Excellence for All Children,” said Dr. Jim
McIntyre, superintendent of the Knox
County Schools. “Our early childhood
development efforts and the work that
parents do with their young children are
extremely important to kindergarten
readiness and success in school. The
Imagination Library is an exceptional
complement to these efforts which help
parents to address the developmental needs
of their preschool age children.”

Imagination Library is a program of the
Knox County Public Library. Funding for
books and mailing is raised through an
independent board of advisors. The cost of
books and mailing is $30 per child per year.
The Governor’s Books From Birth
Foundation supports 50% of all local
funding, with the remaining funds coming
from grants, individual and corporate
donations. EK

For more information about Imagination
Library in Knox County, please contact
Amy Nachtrab at (865) 215-8784.