Expanding Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Across Alaska
With the financial support of the Rasmuson Foundation, Alaska Dept of Education & Early Development, and The Children's Hospital at Providence, along with partners such as Alaska Housing Finance Corporation (AHFC); Best Beginnings is helping communities around Alaska create or expand Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in their areas.
Founded by Dolly Parton to encourage children to read, Imagination Library mails a high quality, age-appropriate book each month to children from birth to age 5 who enroll within their community, regardless of their family income. The cost to the child is free. Find out how to enroll your child.
- Best Beginnings: provides matching funds and technical assistance to communities that wish to start their own Imagination Libraries. Review Best Beginnings Request for Proposal for Imagination Library Expansion.
- The communities: raise funds, promote the program, register the children, and enter information into the database.
- The Dollywood Foundation: manages the system and mails the books
More than 80 Alaska communities currently participate in Imagination Library through 27 Imagination Libraries under the Best Beginnings umbrella. They include Anchor Point, Anchorage, Brevig Mission, Copper River Valley, Dillingham, Emmonak, Fairbanks North Star, Greater Kenai/Soldotna, Homer, Hoonah, Juneau/Southeast Alaska, Koliganek, Kotzebue, Kuskokwim, Mat-Su, Metlakatla, Nanwalek, Nome, Old Harbor, Seward/Moose Pass, Togiak, Unalakleet, Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Upper Tanana, Yukon Flats. (View on map)
- They will register more than 17,000 children, 31% of Alaska’s children under 5.
- The cost to provide a book a month to one child for one year is $30.
- With individual donations, we can give even more Alaska children the extra boost for success in school. Make a donation
In 2011, new Imagination Libraries in Anchor Point, Copper River Valley, Kotzebue, Metlakatla, Togiak, and Yukon Flats joined the roster under a round of grants funded by both the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) and by the Rasmuson Foundation.
In February 2010, UAA researchers completed an evaluation study of Imagination Library demonstrating that children participating in the program for at least one year are more enthusiastic about reading, are read to more often, are perceived by parents to be better prepared for kindergarten, and live in homes with more children’s books. Review study results.
Just as every community is different, every Imagination Library begins in its own way. But it always comes down to a few people who make it happen. Check out the muscle behind Alaska's Imagination Libraries.
If you’re interested in organizing an Imagination Library in your community, please check the website for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library first. ("Community” can be defined as a town, village, or an area where a group of people live.) Then contact Best Beginnings at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
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