The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has officially launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a program dedicated to fostering early childhood literacy by providing free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five. Following a successful fundraising campaign, the library began signing up children who had already expressed interest via the Imagination Library website. According to officials from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Indiana, in its first month of operation, Allen County experienced the second highest registration numbers in the country! To date, the ACPL has registered 2349 children – and counting!
Parents, grandparents, and caregivers are encouraged to sign up any child up to 5 years of age for the program at www.acpl.info/dolly. There is no cost to the families and the child will receive a personalized book each month until they turn 5 years old. It takes approximately 8-12 weeks from enrollment until the child receives their first book in the mail.
“Every day someone in the community mentions Imagination Library to me. It has been a thrill to watch the community rally around the program and give generously to make it a reality,” said ACPL Executive Director Susan P. Baier. “A strong early literacy foundation is absolutely critical to academic, social, and economic success. When we couple a vibrant library system with high quality books in the home – we’re building that strong foundation for the children of Allen County. Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the ingenuity of Dolly Parton, that work is officially underway!”
The launch now makes the internationally renowned Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library available in one of Indiana’s largest counties and marks the accomplishment of a key ACPL strategic goal from its 2024-28 Strategic Plan “Allen County’s Window to Lifelong Learning and Discovery.” In that plan, the ACPL announced its intention to celebrate reading and learning by “exploring partnerships and offering support to increase in-home access to books, including…Imagination Library.”
The project is funded by community donations led by the ACPL Foundation’s fundraising efforts. In June of 2024, the Foundation launched a campaign with an initial goal of $100,000 to fund the first two years of the program. The goal was met in October through donations from individuals, family foundations, social and civic organizations, businesses, library employees, and members of the Friends of the Library. The State of Indiana’s Next Level Agenda will match all funds raised, doubling the impact of the program.
The fund currently has raised $132,000 but requires continued support for the years to come. The community is invited to make donations at acpl.info/imagination-library or by visiting any ACPL branch.
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About the Allen County Public Library
The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has fostered lifelong learning and discovery in northeast Indiana for more than 125 years. The ACPL consists of fourteen branches throughout Allen County, serving more than one million visitors per year. The ACPL’s collection includes more than 2.7 million items, with a circulation total of 4.2 million items borrowed annually. It also houses The Genealogy Center, the nation’s largest public genealogy research center, and The Rolland Center for Lincoln Research, consisting of more than 30,000 artifacts related to President Abraham Lincoln.
About the ACPL Foundation
The ACPL Foundation is a separate legal entity formed for the purpose of enhancing and expanding library programs and services. Its primary function is to secure financial and in-kind donations for programs, services, and capital projects. The ACPL Foundation offers donors a familiar and reliable vehicle for tax-deductible contributions in support of the Allen County Public Library.
About Dolly Parton’s 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 over 250 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and Local Program Partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 3 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to enrolled children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More®.
The program has been widely researched and results demonstrate the positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.
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