Imagination Library comes to Whatcom kids

Free book program for children from ages 0-5 promotes family time, reading skills, school readiness.

In March 2022, United Way of Whatcom County signed on to become the local affiliate for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a world-wide program that sends free books to kids from children ages 0-5.

Any child in Whatcom County is eligible to enroll in this program.

“We are thrilled to have been able to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Whatcom County and offer it to local kids and families,” said United Way CEO Kristi Birkeland. “We know the kids love getting their books in the mail every month, but we also know this well-loved program has been proven to promote literacy and school readiness. This extremely low barrier reading program will help promote pandemic literacy recovery throughout our community and United Way is proud to be part of that work.”

How does it work? Registered children receive an age-appropriate book in the mail each month addressed specifically to them. The books are selected by a national committee of early childhood literacy experts with the intent to provide a variety of inclusive and diverse titles that cover feel good topics.

The Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee takes great care in choosing books that meet the different needs of children as they progress from birth to age five. There are two bi-lingual books (English/Spanish) per child per year. Books are also offered in braille.

Kids receive books from time of enrollment until age 5, at which time they receive a letter from Parton printed in the last book that encourages them to continue with their love of books and learning.

The letter is titled: Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come.

Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library is positively and significantly associated with higher measures of early language and math development.

Findings from the body of Dolly Parton Information Library research indicate the program is extremely popular in the communities where its implemented and shows promise in promoting changes in home literacy environments, children’s attitudes toward reading, and early literacy skills.

The launch of Imagination Library in Whatcom County coincided with a larger effort to expand the program throughout Washington State.

A bill was introduced in the Washington State Legislature Jan. 19, 2022, that made Imagination Library an official statewide program.

Many local United Ways have joined in the effort to help expand this program, becoming affiliates in their respective counties.

The statewide rollout received strong support from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) with $2 million in matching funds to make the program even more cost effective for regional affiliates through June of 2023.

United Way of Whatcom County’s Imagination Library coordinator Denise Kilcline indicated they have been partnering with a variety of organizations locally to reach as many kids as possible and maximize the success of this program.

Since the program launched March 2, 2022, United Way has enrolled more than 3,700 children in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library countywide.

“We want every child in Whatcom County to be able to benefit from having Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library available in our community,” said Kilcline, “Not only is this program a wonderful way to foster a love of reading in local kids and families, it’s also a great tool to prepare our littlest learners for long-term success in school and life.”

For more information about this program, visit United Way of Whatcom County’s website.

To register a local child, visit unitedwaywhatcom.org/imagination-library. Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting program in the world.

The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted well over 160 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland.

The Imagination Library mails more than 1.8 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to registered children from ages 0-5.

Parton envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading, inspiring them to dream.

The impact of the program has been widely researched and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

For more information about Imagination Library, visit imaginationlibrary.com. United Way works with local nonprofits, businesses, and community members to support financial stability in Whatcom County.

By funding a variety of nonprofit programs that provide basic needs and increase economic mobility, they are helping to break the cycle of poverty for individuals and families in Whatcom County.

Making sure Whatcom County kids have access to high quality early learning opportunities, childcare, and parent support programs is a critical element of their work to enable financial stability for every person in our community.

For more information about United Way of Whatcom County, visit unitedwaywhatcom.org.