Building Stronger Communities Starts with a Book — and the Evidence Is Clear
Every month across Canada, a child opens the mailbox to find something addressed just to them — their very own book. Their eyes light up. A family snuggles together to read. A bedtime ritual begins. A love of stories takes root.
Now imagine that moment happening across an entire community — month after month, year after year. This is the magic of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library — and the impact is backed by evidence.
Recent international research — the largest shared-book reading study ever conducted — followed more than 86,000 families across five countries over 12 months and found that:
- After just 10 books, children were four times more likely to show stronger emerging literacy skills such as vocabulary and phonological awareness compared to peers who had not yet received books.
- Children in Canada were 13 times more likely to be read to at least four days per week compared to children not in the program.
- Book recipients were more engaged, more curious, and more likely to enjoy shared story time — especially in communities facing the highest barriers.
This research confirms what communities across Canada have long witnessed firsthand: when children have access to books at home, families read together more often, early literacy skills grow stronger, and meaningful connections are built that can last a lifetime.
Why Early Literacy Matters to Every Community
Early literacy is about far more than learning letters and words. It is the foundation for lifelong learning, wellbeing, and opportunity.
Before children even enter kindergarten, their brains have already developed most of the neural pathways that support future learning. Every story shared, every conversation sparked by a book, and every moment spent reading together helps strengthen those connections.
Communities that support early literacy often see long-term benefits including:
- Higher kindergarten readiness
- Reduced need for remediation and intervention
- Stronger educational outcomes
- Improved long-term health and wellbeing
- More equitable opportunities for children and families
Research consistently shows that investments in early childhood literacy generate significant long-term returns to society through education savings, improved health outcomes, workforce development, and economic growth.
For municipalities, early literacy is one of the few investments that positively touches education, health, economic development, and community wellbeing all at once. Municipal decisions matter. Investments made in children today help shape stronger communities for decades to come.
A Community Is More Than Infrastructure
Municipal leaders make important investments every year — in roads, utilities, parks, recreation, and public services that help communities thrive. But thriving communities are built not only through infrastructure, but through people.
When a municipality partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, it sends a powerful message:
We believe in our youngest residents.
We believe every child deserves access to books.
We believe in the potential of families and communities to grow stronger together.
And now, the world’s largest shared-reading study reinforces that belief with measurable evidence showing that access to high-quality books can make a meaningful difference in a child’s early development.
Programs like the Imagination Library also help municipalities support families proactively — strengthening home literacy environments long before challenges become more difficult and costly to address later.
A Municipal Partnership That Brings Stories Home
Across Canada, municipalities and community partners are helping make this vision a reality.
One inspiring example is Sault Ste. Marie, where the City partnered with local leaders, the Kiwanis Club, Rotary Club, and other service organizations to launch Imagination Library in the community. Families began enrolling. Children began receiving books. And what started as a simple idea — books in every child’s home — became a shared community effort grounded in hope, pride, and opportunity.
At the 2025 Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference, Councillor Angela Caputo and Jeanne Smitiuch shared how municipal leadership helped bring the program to life and strengthen home literacy, family connection, and long-term success for children. Their message was simple:
Books have power — and communities can amplify that power together.
Early Literacy: A Smart Investment With Lasting Returns
Early literacy is not only a social good — it is a long-term community investment.
Strong early learning foundations contribute to:
📚 Stronger language development and school readiness
🎓 Higher graduation and post-secondary participation
💼 A more skilled and adaptable workforce
🏥 Improved lifelong health and wellbeing
🌱 Stronger local economies and greater long-term opportunity
Research consistently demonstrates that investments in early childhood generate measurable social and economic returns through improved educational outcomes, healthcare efficiencies, and stronger workforce development.
In simple terms: investing in early literacy today helps build healthier families, stronger communities, and a more prosperous future for everyone.
Want to Learn More or Get Involved?
Local Program Partners play an important role in helping deliver Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library across Canada.
Our team would be pleased to explore how your municipality, library, or community organization can help inspire a lifelong love of reading and, as Dolly says, “get more books into the hands of more children.”
Because when a child receives a book each month, a community is investing in far more than literacy.
It is investing in belonging, opportunity, confidence, and the future story of every child who calls that community home.
If you would like to learn more about partnering with the Imagination Library, please reach out to your Regional Lead or Director:
Jeanne Smitiuch
Senior Regional Director – Canada & East Coast
[email protected]
Amanda Lanoway
Regional Lead – Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Ontario
[email protected]
Joanne Saunders
Regional Lead – British Columbia, Alberta, Northwest Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut
[email protected]