Javan Smith, right, was the first youngster enrolled in the Imagination Library on Wednesday at the Argie Cooper Public Library. His grandmother, Donna Thomas, left, took him to the library for the kick-off of the program in Bedford County. (T-G Photo by Clint Confehr) [Click to enlarge]

Nearly 100 Bedford County children have been registered for the Imagination Library, according to officials at the kick-off conducted Wednesday in the Argie Cooper Public Library.

And the youngest person registered was the unborn son of Jennifer McGee, 29, an X-ray technician at Bedford County Medical Center who says she's already reading to her son, Tucker, who's due April 3.

Enrolling Tucker was a natural for McGee of because, "My mom's a librarian at Cascade Elementary and my mother-in-law is a retired first grade teacher from Southside," McGee said.

The expectant mother said she's been reading books out loud for Tucker, including the book "Before You Were Born." She and her husband, David McGee II, live on Horseshoe Drive.

The Imagination Library is free and for all children age 5 or younger. Enrollment continues at the public library. Enrollment leads to the mailing of one book per month to the child until their fifth birthday.

Thomas Javan Smith, the 4-year-old grandson of Donna Thomas, was the first youngster registered for the Imagination Library at the kick-off.

Library Director Pat Hastings indicated there were 22 children registered yesterday at the library, but it was one of several places for registration.

"I signed up 22 before today," said Tara Overcast Davis, an employee of the Bedford County Health Department, the volunteer who's to be entering all the names and addresses into the local data base for the books program.

"Today I signed up 16 at the Health Department," said Davis, whose work takes her to low-income homes.

Her realization that those homes had few if any books was the motivation for her to help start the Imagination Library for Bedford County.

With her registrations, those at Argie Cooper Public Library, those at the Child Development Center and the Center for Family Development, it seemed clear that nearly 100 children are already registered for the program that's free for children and their parents.

It's paid for two ways. Some $12,526 was raised through contributions and pledges from clubs, individuals and local industry. That money is matched by the Governor's Books From Birth Foundation as sought by Gov. Phil Bredesen and appropriated by the state Legislature.

Those state funds are to grow as more children are enrolled. Nearly 2,700 children up to the age of 5 were counted in Bedford County by the Census Bureau. Officials estimate the highest participation rate is 80 percent.

Lady Jackson, president of the Books From Birth Foundation, attended the kick-off yesterday and explained the state-wide program "came about as a result of a partnership between [then] Mayor Phil Bredesen and Dolly Parton" the country music star.

Parton started the program in her home county in East Tennessee and now almost 100,000 children are enrolled across the state.

When Parton started the Imagination Library at Sevierville, it was a gift to her home county, Jackson said.

She recognized, as did Bredesen, that reading is one of the basic building blocks for success in life and so anything that could be done to encourage that in children would be good for the whole community, Jackson said.

"You can't underestimate that," said Jackson who thanked Bedford County Mayor Jimmy Woodson for taking the library's program to the Bedford County Commission. That's required by the foundation to have a guarantee that someone will find more sponsors if the original sponsors can't continue.

Woodson listed the many people who helped him and Jackson emphasized, "The most important people here today are the children."

With that, Children's Librarian Margaret Reed read "The Little Engine That Could" to the children in attendance.

That book, one of Parton's favorites, is the first book to be sent to the children who register.

"I learned from it," said Javan Smith, who in conversation with the Times-Gazette was revealed to have come to understand that perseverance is important.