Dolly Parton's Imagination Library delivers free, age-appropriate books monthly to families with children ages 0-5.
The program is administered by the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness or OPSR, which works to expand access to early childhood care, education and support for Oklahoma families.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is currently available in 74 Oklahoma counties, leaving only Logan, Pawnee and Noble Counties without access.
Dolly Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 in Tennessee in honor of her father, who was not able to read or write. Now, the program is available in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
In 2020, the Oklahoma state legislature passed Senate Bill 1803 to provide 50% of the funding for the program. The other 50% is funded by local partners.
Erin Bell, director of early literacy for OPSR, said in 2022 there were around 4,000 children enrolled in the program. Today, over 100,000 children across the state are enrolled.
Bell said each book includes a letter from Parton and individualized tips for the next time parents read the book to the child. It might say to ask a child to point out everything in the book that's red, or, next time families are in the car, point out objects children have seen in their books.
"It not only provides them with a low-barrier way to have books in the home, but it also gives parents a way to really just foster that love of reading and foster those early literacy skills in a very natural way," Bell said.
Bell said as she travels the state to work with local community partners, she hears stories of how the Imagination Library program has impacted families. She said many children don't know Parton as a famous singer, they feel a personal connection to her as a consistent figure in their lives.
Bell remembered an earlier comment from a parent this year that they were not able to afford high-quality books and that the program helped them establish a reading routine with their children.
"A parent said that the program had really blessed them because they were not able to afford high-quality books, and through this program they were able to make sure that their child had wonderful books to read at home, and that they'd started a reading routine because of the program," Bell said.
OPSR partners with nonprofits in each county to provide about $1.30 per child each month and facilitate fundraising and publicizing the program.
Bell said a community partner must be a 501(c)(3) organization, have sufficient funding to cover a few years, and commit to being the face of the program for the community.
OPSR will be able to offer start-up assistance for partners through additional funds from the legislature, Bell said.
Bell said oftentimes these partners play an integral role in enrollment, since many are trusted members of their communities.
"Local program partners really are the lifeblood of the program," Bell said. "For example, in Madill, Oklahoma, they don't know me because I'm here in Oklahoma City, but they know their financial secretary at their school, … and they trust her.
"They really make sure that the program really comes alive for the kids."
A study by the Dollywood Foundation found that children enrolled in the program in the U.S. were nine times more likely to initiate shared book reading than children not enrolled. It also found children were 11 times more likely to be interested in reading and three times more likely to demonstrate concepts about print compared to children not enrolled.
According to Bell, some states that have had the program for a while are seeing improvements among kids enrolled in it. She said those outcomes indicated enrollment in the program may lead to higher education and early literacy outcomes in Oklahoma.
"Those are school readiness indicators, … 15 minutes a day will make a huge impact on that child's ability to read later," Bell said. "We do see that in states that have had (the program) for a long time, there have been some significant improvements with the kids who are enrolled in the program."
Bell emphasized how important community partnerships are to the success of the program in Oklahoma, like rural electric cooperatives, which ensure their counties have funding.
She also highlighted the legislature's commitment, which has consistently funded the program since 2020. She said other states, like Missouri, are losing their programs because state lawmakers aren't providing sufficient funding.
Bell said OPSR partners with the state Department of Education, and it also serves as the state early childhood advisory council.
"It also takes that commitment from the state Capitol, from the legislators who understand how important it is," Bell said. "Our leaders are really committed to this."
The organization's goal is to reach 65% of enrollment for all eligible children across 77 counties, Bell said. With the recent growth in the program, enrollment is at about 41% among eligible children across all but three counties.
Eligible families can enroll in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library online, and interested community partners can either complete an application or contact OPSR.
This report was produced by the Oklahoma Public Media Exchange, a collaboration of public media organizations. Help support collaborative journalism by donating at the link at the top of this webpage.
