For several years, Samantha Grankvist’s family has received a new children’s book each month through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program. The initiative selects and mails age-appropriate books to children from birth through age 5. For Vai and her younger brother, Nix, the packages have become not only a source of joy but also an important part of family life.
Grankvist did not grow up as an avid reader, but after her daughter was born, she decided to instill a love of books in her children from an early age. Reading became a kind of reward for the family: If the children brush their teeth quickly, they are promised extra bedtime stories. According to their mother, the children now eagerly await each new delivery — especially Vai, who continues to celebrate the “Dolly books” even when the package is addressed to her brother.
The books sparked a particular interest in Dolly Parton herself. Vai dressed as the singer for Halloween, held a Dolly-themed birthday party, wore a wig and cowboy boots in her style, and once dressed her younger brother as a cow — a reference to Parton’s children’s story about Bessie the cow. The fascination also influenced Vai’s behavior: Inspired in part by the song “Coat of Many Colors,” she gave classmates her clothes when they were cold.
The program launched in Lewis County in January 2020 through the joint efforts of local Rotary clubs and United Way of Lewis County. The idea emerged in 2018 after community leaders learned about the experience of neighboring Cowlitz County, where a similar initiative was already operating successfully. Its program became an example of how partnerships among Rotary, United Way and other organizations can expand children’s access to books. Lewis County’s project was created along similar lines, but it is newer, serves fewer children and so far has less accumulated data on its results.
Initially, organizers in Lewis County planned a small pilot project. But an unexpectedly large contribution from the Rotary Club of Centralia allowed the program to expand quickly, and organizers abandoned its pilot status.
Organizers had to look for new sources of funding after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted plans for an annual auction. Today, United Way and Rotary volunteers raise about $35,000 a year by inviting residents to sponsor book deliveries for one child or support the project as a business. These organizations are responsible for raising local funds, organizing and promoting the program. Washington state covers another half of the costs as part of its early-development support, while Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library administers the program, selects the books and mails them to children each month. State officials do not handle the deliveries directly.
The program serves up to 2,300 children at a time, and about 4,000 children have graduated from it since its launch. More than 6,000 children in Lewis County have received books for free overall, with annual costs totaling about $70,000. State co-funding, introduced in 2023 after a campaign by community advocates and lawmakers, was threatened by budget cuts, but a charitable contribution allowed the 50-50 funding structure to remain in place.
A possible reduction in state support could also affect other early-development programs that provide children with books and educational resources. Rural and low-income communities are particularly vulnerable because local organizations have difficulty making up funding shortfalls. Reduced funding could lead to cuts in program reach, the number of partnerships and families’ access to support for developing early literacy skills.
Based on: In death, Dolly Parton continues impact on literacy in Lewis County