By Kelsey Knott • Photos by Matt Johnson
It’s true! Dolly’s “little book program” has successfully made its way to every zip code in Jefferson County! Maria Gurren, the Executive Director of Imagination Library of Louisville, kindly shares about this nonprofit and the immense importance of having access to books and reading regularly for children and parents alike.
What began as an all-volunteer initiative in 2016 for a few high-need Louisville zip codes became available to every child in Jefferson County last summer. Founded by Dolly Parton in 1995, the Imagination Library started as a literacy initiative for her home in Sevier County, Tennessee. Her father, who never learned to read, founded the program with Dolly, and it celebrates its 30th anniversary next year. The model and mission are simple: “We send a free book in the mail every month to kids from birth to age five to help them develop a love of reading and get them ready for kindergarten.” On average, children may receive 38 books before kindergarten, but 60 if signed up at birth, and local affiliates cover the cost of each book mailed. Imagination Libary serves 1 out of every 3 kids under age five in Jefferson County.
Child literacy experts, most connected to the University of Tennessee, consider various factors when selecting Imagination Libary books: character diversity, story diversity, developmental milestones met, illustration quality, and story quality. Gurren states: “They’re highly curated for the age group of kids, which is helpful to parents. Parents are busy, and they don’t have to do the research to know, ‘This would be a good book for my two-and-a-half-year-old or for my four-year-old.’ Books just show up on their doorstep.” Two books a year on average are dual language, and one nonfiction. From classics like Corduroy to new picks like How to Get Your Octopus to School, Dolly orders over 3 million books from Penguin monthly.
Kids are registered locally and entered into the book order system to enroll. Within about nine to ten weeks, the child receives The Little Engine that Could, everyone’s welcome book, and then a book a month until they turn five. On imaginationlibrary.com, you can check eligibility before registering with contact information like street address and child’s name and birthday.
Not only does Imagination Library take book selection seriously, but also the gifting experience. Many families express how excited their children are the day they receive their book. There’s a personal attachment when children see their name on the shipping label of a book wrapped in plastic: “There’s a little bit of an unwrapping element, and Dolly has always called it her book gifting program, so I think that’s part of it. Every child deserves access to high-quality books in early childhood, and every kid loves getting mail with their name on it.” Dolly also plays a part in the connection experience: “The first book has a little note in it from Dolly welcoming them to the program, and she usually signs her notes. ‘I will always love you.’ Then the graduation book is Look Out Kindergarten, here, I Come.”
Gurren emphasizes the developmental importance of regular reading in early childhood: “So much crucial brain development happens in the first five years of life. Over 50 percent of kids show up to JCPS not kindergarten-ready. We want to change that, and part of that lack of readiness is a lack of access to books in early childhood. Studies show that reading books in early childhood creates all kinds of important neural pathway connections–brain development, auditory memory, language acquisition, and building vocabulary. Part of what we try to do when we’re out in the community is also educate parents on the importance of reading.”
While some may find their children too young for books or want to wait until starting school, Gurren reiterates that it’s never too early to start instilling a love for reading! “Just 15 minutes a day of reading out loud to your child can create an important bonding experience. It really is something that can enhance that parent-child relationship that extends beyond just story time.” In a recent partnership study with UofL’s Early Childhood Research Center, 81 percent of parents stated they read more frequently now with their child than before enrolling in Imagination Library. “When families are given the tools, they’re going to read to their kids,” Gurren says. Parents also report hearing their kids use vocabulary from the books as well as asking to read together more frequently, and reading strategies on the inside cover can further enhance the educational experiences of storytime.
Gurren reminds us that we share the collective responsibility as a community to take care of our children and look out for their wellbeing. Their survey showed that 96 percent of survey respondents told another parent about the program. “We want every child under five to sign up. We also have a specific focus on eight equity zip codes where we know that families probably have more barriers to accessing books.” Imagination Library pays special attention to communities more likely to be book deserts or places where getting books at home may be more challenging: “People are really struggling, and a book is a luxury. You can’t eat a book; you can’t pay rent with a book. Dolly made a commitment–this program will always be free to participants… For the vast majority of families. They had less than 50 books in their home before starting the program and for a significant number of families, their only books in their home are Imagination.”
Imagination Libary has many partners helping them with their mission: Headstart and early childcare centers, UofL and Norton Children’s hospitals, Americana, La Casita Center, Kentucky Refuge Ministries, pediatricians and family health centers, neighborhood houses, community centers, and more. The program is completely funded by grants, corporate sponsors, foundations, and individual donors, so you can get involved and support through a donation to imaginationlibrarylouisville.org/give!