Off the Shelf – Winter 2022

In the future the Library envisions, some 30,000 Lucas County children will look forward to hearing the metal lid of their mailbox swing open and shut. They’ll listen for the sounds of the mail carrier, waiting until their footsteps have receded. They’ll excitedly find the package they’ve been waiting for, their name above the address line, and tear it open—one of the only pieces of mail addressed just to them. Inside, they’ll find a book. It is one of 12 they will receive each year until they begin elementary school. It’s the future the Library is working toward with a new partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Each month the program delivers one new book to children, from birth up until they turn five years old, free of cost to the family, and funded completely by donor contributions —ensuring that all area children have their own at-home, personal bookshelf. It’s one initiative in the Library’s bold and growing strategy to ensure every child in Lucas County has a strong start with early literacy skills. Continue Reading