Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Gift the Love of Reading
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, otherwise referred to as Imagination Library, is an early literacy program. The program facilitated by UWYV’s Women United and is available to all Yampa Valley children, who are currently between the ages of birth to five. Each child will receive 60 age-appropriate books over the course of five years. The books are hand-selected by a panel of early literacy professionals as a program of the Dollywood Foundation. The selection of books even includes two bilingual titles per year.
Imagination Library for Moffat County is facilitated by Connection 4 Kids.
In 2025,
7,395 Books mailed
752 Children served
How Does The Program Work?
Families enroll their children at birth, or any time after birth through age (e.g., you can sign up your three year old), through United Way of the Yampa Valley. Every month until age 5, a free age appropriate book is mailed directly to the child’s home with the child’s name on the envelope. The child will have the free opportunity to build their own library with books of their own.
Why Begin So Early?
Books in the home have been consistently proven to be an indicator of a child’s academic success. During the a child’s years of birth to age five, this time is considered a very important developmental period for a child’s brain. Substantial research links the importance of early literacy to children’s future success in school and career.
The Imagination Library provides the resources necessary to every child in the Yampa Valley in order for them to develop the skill necessary for success. Research shows between 66% and 75% of families read more to their children after receiving the Imagination Library books. Most importantly, children develop a lifelong love of learning and reading.
How can you help?
- $25 supports one child for one year, supplying the child with 12 books.
- $125 supports one child from birth to age 5, supplying the child with all 60 books.
- $1,250 supports ten children from birth to age 5, supplying each of the ten children with all 60 books.
- $5,000 supports 40 children from birth to age 5, supplying each of the 40 children with all 60 books.
“My child is exposed to a wider variety of books”
• 93% of parents surveyed responded ‘Yes’
“I am reading more often to my child”
• 71% of parents surveyed responded ‘Yes’
“Other Members of the family read more often to my child”
• 62% of parents surveyed responded ‘Yes’
