Ohio Celebrates Milestone for Dolly Parton Imagination Library Locations

Article Presented By Pickaway Ross CTC…

(Columbus) – Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine has announced new records regarding participation in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio: 60% of Ohio’s eligible children – from birth to age 5 – enrolled in the program in January, which means 400,611 children received the books.    

“I’m so thankful to all of our partners in 88 counties for helping us to bring these books to kids, at no cost to their families,” said Ohio First Lady Fran DeWine. “We’ve come so far from the 13 percent enrollment when we started the effort to create a statewide program in 2019.  And, of course, I am extremely grateful for Dolly Parton, who has sparked such an amazing opportunity for our little ones to learn before they start kindergarten.”

Dolly Parton came to Ohio in 2022 to celebrate Ohio’s aggressive push to make Imagination Library books available to young children in every single Ohio village, township, city, and county.

Dolly Parton attended First Lady Fran DeWine’s 2022 Luncheon to support the Imagination Library.

“Congratulations to First Lady Fran DeWine and to all of our Ohio program partners for reaching these amazing milestones!” said Dolly Parton. “Thank you for everything you do to support my Imagination Library and inspire a love of reading in children across the state.”

Additionally, First Lady DeWine announced that more than 15 million Imagination Library books have been mailed to Ohio children since 2019, when Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio was first established. Prior to the statewide program, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was available in pockets of the state with only 13% of eligible children enrolled.