From The Washington Post:

Saving for an American Girl doll might take months or even a year. But now there’s a way for local kids to bring one home without paying the $110 price tag. Beginning this month, anyone with an Arlington County library card can sign up to borrow one of eight dolls for a week.

“They’re really expensive,” said Julia Karell, branch manager at the Cherrydale Library. “I hear kids talking about the dolls, and the parents say, ‘No way.’ ”

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The Friends of the Arlington Public Library bought eight dolls: Josefina (whose character is from 1824), Marie-Grace and Cecile (1853), Addy (1864), Rebecca (1914), Molly (1944), and Julie and Ivy (1974). Librarians then created a kit that would accompany each doll: an American Girl book, a card with Arlington history related to the time period and a borrowers’ journal.

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News of the lending program has prompted some library patrons to check out the books, which the library has had in its collection for years.

“Our whole goal is to get people into the library,” Karell said. “This is a way to connect kids with books and with history.”

Read the Complete Article, Learn About Future Plans

Read the NY Times Article About a Branch of the NYPL That Lends American Girl Dolls (via NY Times; January 22, 2013)
This article is referenced in the Washington Post report.

See Also: Arlington County, VA Library American Girl Doll Info Page

See Also: American Girl Doll Lending Program FAQ