The Baxter County Early Literacy Project is a collaboration between the Baxter County Library, Mountain Home, Cotter, and Norfork School Districts, Schliemann Center for Women's Health Education, ASUMH, and other early literacy advocates.
Project Mission
To equip all Baxter County children with the early literacy skills they need to be prepared to enter Kindergarten, by:
- Getting books into their hands
- Promoting the importance of early literacy
- Instilling the practice of reading aloud into family culture
- Increasing awareness of Arkansas Child Development and Early Learning Standards
Current Projects
Little Free Libraries
There are 10 Early Literacy Project Little Free Libraries in Baxter County stocked with children’s books. You can’t miss them – they are bright yellow. Anyone may take a children's book or leave a children's book to share. Get a free book, and read it with your child today!
LOCATIONS
Cotter
- Big Spring Park
Gassville
- Gassville City Park
Mountain Home
- Cooper Park
- Donald W. Reynolds Library Serving Baxter County
- Hickory Park
- Mountain Home Kindergarten
- Mountain Station Apartments
- Quail Run/Meadow Park Apartments
Norfork
- Norfork Community Center Trail
- Vero Hall Memorial Park
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
The Imagination Library is a book-gifting program that mails specially selected, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five at no cost to families, regardless of income. By making books accessible, the Imagination Library fosters a love of reading, increases childhood literacy rates, and supports underserved families in high-risk communities.
Thanks to some generous donations, this program is available to children in Baxter County! To enroll your child, visit the Library or Baxter County Imagination Library.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library Sponsors
Support Early Literacy
Help the Baxter County Early Literacy Project provide books to more children in our community! Your sponsorship of 5, 25, 50, or 150 children ensures they receive high-quality books each month at no cost to their families.
As a valued donor to the Imagination Library, your name or logo will be featured on our website, and a traveling banner will be displayed at community events and donor business locations—helping to spread awareness and inspire new supporters.
Want to see the difference your donation makes? Check out our Value Analysis Sheet to learn how every dollar helps foster a love of reading!
1000 Books Before Kindergarten
The 1000 Books Before Kindergarten Program engages parents in a commitment to read 1000 books to their child before the child enters kindergarten. Reading aloud to your child is the single most important activity you can do to prepare your child to learn to read. Research by Mem Fox, literacy expert and children’s author, concludes that 1000 stories read aloud is a critical milestone. To get started, visit the Library.
YES, you really can read 1000 books to your child before kindergarten!
- You have 1826 nights between birth and your child’s fifth birthday.
- If you read 1 book per night for three years, you will have read 1095 books.
- If you read 10 books each week for two years, you will have read 1040 books.
- If you read 3 books most days, in less than one year you’ll reach your milestone.
Early Literacy Project Support
Twin Lakes Community Foundation Giving Tree Grant
Twin Lakes Future Fund Grant
Arkansas Imagination Library Cost-Share Grant
Generous donors like you!
For more information on the Baxter County Early Literacy Project, please contact Kim Crow Sheaner at kim.c@baxlib.org or 870-580-0979.