Oregon celebrates a major milestone one year after launching statewide expansion: all Oregon children under 5 are now eligible to receive one free book per month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library!
Just one year after the official launch of its statewide expansion, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is now available to all children under five in every zip code and county across Oregon. This milestone comes with the addition of the Lower Umpqua Library and Reedsport Rotary Foundation as the program’s 57th Local Program Partner—bringing free monthly books to families in Reedsport and Gardiner.
All 36 Oregon Counties Now Covered
On May 8, 2024, the State of Oregon—through the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC)—partnered with The Dollywood Foundation to expand the Imagination Library across the state. At the time of the launch, 30 of Oregon’s 36 counties had full program coverage. Now, thanks to the most recent addition in Douglas County, the program is available statewide.
“This is an incredible milestone,” said DELC Director Alyssa Chatterjee. “The goal of the statewide expansion was to ensure that children ages 0–5 in every zip code in Oregon have access to books. With the addition of Reedsport, that goal has been achieved.”
Celebrating One Year of Statewide Expansion
In 2023, the Oregon Legislature allocated $1.7 million in General Funds to DELC through Senate Bill 5506 to support the expansion. The funding established a 50/50 state match to help cover the cost of books and mailing.
Since the launch of the state match, enrollment in the Imagination Library of Oregon has grown from 54,278 to 65,497 children—an increase of more than 11,000 in just one year.
“Seeing people come together to help The Imagination Library of Oregon reach this milestone is inspiring!” said Laurie McNichols, Imagination Library of Oregon State Director. “DPIL is a global program, but at our core we have always been, and will always be, grassroots.”
A Grassroots Effort Backed by State and Local Partners
The Imagination Library of Oregon’s newest local partnership brings the program to families in Reedsport and Gardiner. The effort was made possible through a collaboration between the Lower Umpqua Library, the Reedsport Rotary Foundation, and a grant from the Betsy Priddy Fund of Oregon Community Foundation.
“We are deeply proud to support Dolly Parton’s efforts to help all Oregon children learn to read,” said Lisa Mensah, President and CEO of Oregon Community Foundation. “Partnerships like this one create high quality learning opportunities for our youngest Oregonians in every corner of our state.”
Register a Child
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is free for all families and available statewide. Children can be registered from birth to age five to receive new, high-quality, age-appropriate books addressed to them in the mail each month until their fifth birthday. Registration is quick and easy—enroll now!
“Families that receive books from the Imagination Library are more likely to read with their child more often,” said Kaylee Chrystal, Community Engagement Coordinator for the Imagination Library of Oregon. “We know that 90% of brain development happens before the age of five. Making reading a shared family activity helps to increase language and communication development.”