Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to expand to all Oregon counties, boosting child literacy
Gov. Tina Kotek has announced the expansion of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to all counties in Oregon, providing free books to children up to age 5 to improve child literacy.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – You don’t have to work a “9 to 5” to appreciate Dolly Parton. In fact, children in Oregon are about to have the county star to thank for their bedtime stories.
On Wednesday, Gov. Tina Kotek announced the expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to every county throughout the state in an effort to improve child literacy.
“We know that every child is full of promise,” Gov. Kotek said. “And the expansion of this program across Oregon is another key step we are taking as part of a broader strategy to improve how we support our kids as they learn to read.”
In 1995, Parton launched the Imagination Library as a tribute to her father — someone she said was the smartest man she had ever known but had never learned to read.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library promotes literacy to young children, regardless of their upbringing, by sending a free book to kids up to age 5 every month.
The book-gifting program launched in Parton’s hometown of Sevier County, Tenn. nearly 30 years ago. It has since expanded across the U.S. and other countries including Canada and the Republic of Ireland.
Until now, more than 54,000 children across Oregon had received a monthly book through 55 community programs – including more than 45,000 kids enrolled in the Imagination Library.
“Because of this program, many thousands of Oregon kids will learn to love reading,” House Democratic Leader Ben Bowman said. “I am sincerely grateful to all those who played a role in developing this program in Oregon – and to Dolly and the entire team at DPIL for their vision in starting it.”
In the state of Washington, the Imagination Library began expanding to all 39 counties in 2022. Parton visited the state to celebrate the expansion in 2023 with a fireside chat and intimate performance.
Margie Lowe of the Marion & Polk Early Learning Hub said a state can never have too many books for too many children.
“In the past two years, I have discovered that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library brings joy to those who support bringing the books as well as to those who cuddle up with a small child to read the books. It is truly a wonderful program,” Lowe said. "When books are delayed, parents call me. They want to know what's happened to their book. So if anybody thinks it's just a book, know families are really counting on it and their children are really counting on it."
In 2023, Gov. Kotek pushed the passage of the Early Literacy Success Initiative. With it, nearly $20 million was allocated for resources that support parents and families with literacy development before kindergarten.
“Brain science clearly shows that kids start to develop literacy skills from birth,” Department of Early Learning and Care Director Alyssa Chatterjee said. “That’s why, here in Oregon, we’re making major investments to help our children develop the joy of reading.”