Working “9 to 5” for literacy has been a top priority in communities all throughout the state, as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is now available to all children under age five in Washington. Recently, the statewide program, Imagination Library of Washington, reached a significant milestone - 100,000 children in Washington are now registered for the Imagination Library monthly book-gifting program.

This recent achievement came off the heels of Dolly Parton’s special visit to Washington on August 15, celebrating the expansion of her program into all 39 counties across the state. Shortly after Dolly graced the stage of the Pantages Theater in Tacoma, Washington experienced a near instantaneous surge in children enrolling for free books from the Imagination Library. Reaching this enrollment milestone has significant meaning – more than 22% of all eligible children in Washington are now receiving books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

“Fellow Washingtonians, we should all be ecstatic! We have reached an astounding Imagination Library enrollment milestone, six digits wide! Wow… 100,000 early learners are now engaged in receiving a free monthly book at their home! 100,000 smiles, 100,000 hearts filling up with inspiration and a love of reading, and 100,000 opportunities to learn, connect, grow, and imagine! Thanks to Dolly Parton’s recent visit for our statewide celebration, we are seeing the raw power her presence has had with a mind-boggling increase in enrollment in a short period of time.”

“To meet this extraordinary program demand requires increased financial support from Washingtonians to ensure its sustainability. Help us keep the literacy magic alive for our children and consider donating at www.imaginationlibrarywashington.org,” stated Imagination Library of Washington’s Executive Director, Brooke Fisher-Clark.

Imagination Library of Washington puts monthly books into the hands of Washington children from birth up to their fifth birthday, at no cost to the family. Thousands of early learners around the state are now experiencing the joy of going to the mailbox and getting their special Imagination Library book from the “Book Lady” each month.  Families can register their child by visiting www.imaginationlibrarywashington.org.

It is Dolly’s dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books, and inspiring kids to love to read became her mission with the creation of her worldwide book-gifting program. The Imagination Library is one of her proudest achievements, created as a tribute to her father. “He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams,” Dolly shared.

With program enrollment at an all-time high, Imagination Library of Washington’s top priority is to raise additional funds to put more books into the hands of early learners and sustain the state’s 50% funding match for Washington’s forty-six local program partners. Financial support from individuals, corporations, and foundations plays a critical role in sustaining the state’s growth in child enrollments. Interested parties can visit www.imaginationlibrarywashington.org to donate and learn more about the statewide program.