'A true champion for children'
How Dolly Parton's Imagination Library impacted thousands of children locally
Kathy Smith, left, director of Burke County Smart Start, and Vickie Deal, executive assistant at Burke County Smart Start, promote Dolly Parton's Imagination Library during an event at the Morganton branch of the Burke County Public Library.
Marley and Paisley Pacheco read an Imagination Library book in Burke County.
Walker Warren, of Iredell County, opens a book he received through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
More than 30 years ago, Dolly Parton launched her Imagination Library program.
The goal was to give children access to books regardless of income.
In North Carolina, the program has served thousands of children over the years, distributing millions of books. The program sends a free book to a child every month from birth to 5 years old.
The program expanded to be statewide in 2017, according to a news release from the North Carolina Partnership for Children. Since the program expanded statewide, nearly 25 million books have been sent to more than 240,000 children in North Carolina.
In the wake of Dolly Parton's death on Tuesday at 80 years old, here's a look at how her program impacted children locally.
McDowell County
For more than a decade, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has had an impact on McDowell County's young children. About 10 years ago, Julie McKinney was working as a school librarian at Nebo Elementary and part time with the Partnership for Children of the Foothills. At that time, McKinney helped launch Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program. The Partnership sponsored the program in McDowell, Rutherford and Polk counties. Funding later became available from the state, which changed how the program is administered, according to McKinney.
McKinney is now the program and outreach librarian for the McDowell County Public Library.
She said the books are mailed directly to children's homes from a distribution center. Occasionally, families donate these books to the public library when they are no longer needed. "If they are in good condition, we catalog and add them to our shelves; otherwise, we pass them along to others to enjoy," McKinney said.
Vanessa Parton, the executive director of the Partnership for Children of the Foothills, said the program helps prepare children to enter school.
"The Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) has become one of the Partnership for Children of the Foothills' most visible and impactful early literacy initiatives," Parton said. Parton is not related to Dolly Parton.
The Partnership for Children of the Foothills became the local administrator and funder of the program for McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties in 2014, making it possible for families throughout the three-county service area to participate.
Children under age 5 who live in any of the three counties can enroll and receive a book mailed directly to their home each month, according to Vanessa Parton.
"The local impact has been incredible," she said. "In 20222023, 44,069 books were delivered to children across McDowell, Polk and Rutherford counties in one fiscal year.
The Imagination Library reaches more than 60% of children from birth to age 5 in the three-county area.
"We also have documented meaningful changes in families' reading behaviors after participating in the program," Vanessa Parton said. "Among surveyed families, the percentage of children who read daily increased in all three counties, and children also became more likely to look at books independently and ask parents or caregivers to read to them."
But the greatest impact of the program is not simply the number of books distributed, Parton said.
"It puts books directly into children's homes and creates an opportunity for families to build a culture of reading before a child ever enters kindergarten," she said. "It also makes literacy personal. The book arrives addressed to the child, creating excitement about their growing home library."
For the Partnership for Children of the Foothills, the Imagination Library represents more than a book-distribution program. It is a community-wide investment in school readiness, family engagement and children's lifelong relationship with reading. By connecting children with books from birth, the Partnership helps families establish reading routines during a period of brain development and gives children an opportunity to arrive at school with positive experiences around books and learning.
The program also demonstrates the power of community partnership. The national Imagination Library model provides the books and framework, while local agencies like the Partnership for Children of the Foothills provide the outreach, enrollment, administration and community connections needed to make the program accessible to local families, according to Vanessa Parton.
Burke County
While Dolly Parton has legions of fans worldwide due to her songwriting and singing, in Burke County, some of her smaller fans know her as "the book lady."
Kathy Smith, the director of Burke County Smart Start, said 1,692 children are currently enrolled in the Imagination Library in the county.
Smith said it's incredible how much the program has grown in the county. She said when the program started in Burke County, they had a goal of reaching 3,500 families.
Since 2017, when the state legislature started funding the program statewide, 4,899 children in Burke County have graduated from the program, Smith said.
Smith has a real-life window into the program.
She has a 21-month-old grandson enrolled in the program. Smith said when he gets a new book, he plops down on the floor and starts reading.
Burke County Smart Start has a life-size cutout of Dolly at the door entrance of their office on West Union Street in Morganton.
"Whereas I knew her as a country-western artist, the children are like, 'There's the book lady,'" Smith said.
The program takes the life-size cutout with them when they do outreach events, she said.
Smith said research consistently shows that children who are read to regularly develop strong language, literacy and math skills for school readiness.
"And so that's our goal: put books in the hands of children and families," Smith said. And each month, the child gets a new book, and the types of books they get grow with the child.
Parents can request the books in either English or Spanish or dual language, Smith said.
Results have shown that in Burke County, the program has real impact.
Smith said Imagination Library sends a survey out each year, and it goes to the parents and asks questions such as "How often do you read with your child?" and "Has the program increased your reading time with your child?" Smith said she gets both the statewide results and county results. The results show parents spend more time reading with their children enrolled in the program, she said.
Smith said Smart Start has the funding to serve all children from birth to 5 years old in the program in Burke County.
She said there are 4,000 to 4,500 children in Burke County who are age-eligible for the program. There are fewer than half currently enrolled in the program, Smith said.
Catawba County
In Catawba County, the Catawba Partnership for Children started up the Imagination Library program in 2011.
Now, about 5,600 kids get books each month, resulting in 17,961 children in Catawba County getting books through the program since 2011, according to information from the Catawba Partnership for Children.
Since April 2011, 795,875 books have been sent out to children in the county.
"We are deeply saddened to hear of Dolly Parton's passing," the partnership said in a statement. "Dolly was a true champion for children and early literacy, and her generosity has touched the lives of millions of children around the world, including right here in Catawba County through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library."
The partnership said Parton's legacy will live on.
"We are grateful to be part of her incredible vision and to see the joy that books bring to children and families in our community."
Iredell County
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library came to Iredell County in 2016.
"Before North Carolina invested in expanding the Imagination Library statewide, our community recognized the value of putting books directly into the hands of young children," Iredell County Partnership for Young Children Deputy Director Lisa Pullis said via email. "With support from United Way and other local community partners, Iredell County was able to bring the program to local families and begin building a stronger foundation for early literacy."
During the 2024-2025 year, the Imagination Library served 5,791 children and distributed 70,152 books. Pullis said the number would have been higher if enrollment had not been paused from February 2025 to July 2025 due to delays in state funding appropriations.
Pullis said the program creates a foundation for the children to have a home library and opportunities to talk and learn with their parents and caregivers.
"The impact goes far beyond simply providing books. Early access to books helps build vocabulary, language and pre-literacy skills while encouraging the parent-child interactions that are so important to healthy development and school readiness," Pullis said. "Just as importantly, the program removes financial and transportation barriers by delivering books directly to a child's home, making early literacy resources accessible to families across Iredell County."
Pullis said Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is an investment in both the children and their families. The program helps children develop a love for reading prior to entering school.
"There is also something uniquely powerful about a child receiving a book addressed specifically to them in the mail each month," Pullis said. "It creates excitement around books and reading and helps families establish reading as part of their everyday routine."
Gracie Warren and her son Walker participate in the Iredell County branch of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
"Receiving Dolly Parton's Imagination Library books each month has made reading such a special part of our family's routine," Warren said. "Walker's face lights up when a new book arrives in the mail, and we look forward to reading it together. These books are helping my child develop a love of reading while creating memories we will always treasure."
Pullis said Dolly Parton built something extraordinary for children.
The Imagination Library began as a tribute to Dolly Parton's father and now puts millions of books into the hands of children all over the world, Pullis said.
"What I especially appreciate about Dolly is that she understands something we see every day in our work," Pullis said. "A child's opportunities should not be determined by their family's income or circumstances. Every child deserves access to books and the opportunity to develop a love of reading from an early age."
