Where to find ‘Dolly Parton’ and get a library card

STEUBENVILLE -- September is Library Card Sign-up Month, an opportunity to "empower yourself and strengthen the community with information, services, and programming at the Public Library of Steubenville and Jefferson County," according to Jennifer Cesta, public relations coordinator.

The library is one of many organizations that partner with the United Way of Jefferson County for the Imagination Library, a program that puts books in the hands of children, birth to age 5, by mailing books directly to their homes for free.

"The Ohio Governor's Imagination Library is a partnership with the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to make improving early literacy a statewide program," Cesta explained. "In Jefferson County, the program is administered by the United Way of Jefferson County and sponsored by Gulfport Energy," Cesta said.

During September, several area businesses will help observe Library Card Sign-up Month with promotion of the Imagination Library program by featuring a life-size cutout stand of Dolly Parton inside their establishment.

There will be several locations where "Dolly" can be found. The dates and businesses where you can find "Dolly" include the following:

– Now through Wednesday, Steubenville OfficeMax, 308 S. Hollywood Blvd.;

– Sept. 11, Toronto Riesbeck's, 1840 Franklin St., Toronto;

– Sept. 12-16, Murray's Restaurant, 498 Cadiz Road, Wintersville;

– Sept. 17-23, Scaffidi's Restaurant, 350 S. Hollywood Blvd., Steubenville; and

– Sept. 24-30, Dairy Queen, 142 Warren St., Rayland.

Next to the stand, parents can take a registration form for the Imagination Library. Registrations to enroll in the program can be dropped off at any library location or mailed to the United Way of Jefferson County at P.O. Box 1463, 511 N. fourth St., Steubenville OH 43952.

In addition, the library will feature Dolly Parton's book, "Coat of Many Colors," for its StoryWalk at Steubenville Beatty Park on Sept. 10 through Oct. 9. StoryWalk combines the outdoors and reading by placing pages of a book inside permanent post stands for families to read together along a path. Afterward, children are encouraged to visit the Main Library to pick up a surprise related to the book. StoryWalk begins in April and runs through October.

Reading is important to a child's development, according to Misty Teasdale, the library system's children's services coordinator.

"In order for children to build strong vocabularies, they must be exposed to a variety of words on a regular basis," Teasdale said. "Time spent reading together as a family gives children the opportunity to ask questions about words they don't understand. This leads to more effective reading and encourages children to want to read on their own," she added.

"Celebrate Library Card Sign-up Month by getting a library card for each member of your family and enjoy all services, reliable resources and programs -- whether indoors or outdoors -- for free," Cesta noted.