Co-ops team up with Dolly Parton to send books to every Missouri kid
Every day 3-year-old Josephine “Josie” Rackers rushes to the mailbox. Her hope: a special delivery from Dolly. Yes, that Dolly. She is enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program, and she will receive one free book every month until her fifth birthday. So far, her favorite is the first one she (and all enrolled children) received, “The Little Engine That Could.”
“She calls it the ‘I Think I Can’ book,” says Meghan, Josie’s mother. “The books come with her name on them, and she just loves it. All the books we’ve received are relevant to her age and are about things we can relate to her little life, which increases our conversations, which increases her language and literacy skills to get her ready for kindergarten and beyond.”
Josie Rackers of St. Thomas, age 3, has loved every book she’s received through Imagination Library, but “The Little Engine That Could” remains her favorite.
The Rackers live in St. Thomas and are a reading family. Meghan, who has spent her career in education, and her husband, Marc, make sure Josie and her two older siblings, Emmett and Amelia, are surrounded by books. “The first five years of a child’s life is the most important part of brain development, and Dolly is giving books to kids in that age group,” says Meghan, a member of Three Rivers Electric Cooperative. “It is exciting to think about this impact of the Imagination Library in the state.”
While the Imagination Library is available in all states and five countries, Missouri is special. As of November 2023, children under age 5 can receive books through the Imagination Library of Missouri program. Missouri officials thought the program was so vital they ensured funding by adding it to state law. In other states, local entities have to financially support the program to make it available, but in Missouri the funding is guaranteed by Missouri’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and a national collaboration between Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and Touchstone Energy Cooperative, a national network of electric cooperatives across 45 states. As of early June, around 135,900 Missouri children receive books through the program — but that’s only 36% of eligible children.
To sign up, visit ImaginationLibrary.com. You will input the following information:
- Address
- Child Name
- Child Birth Date
- Parent’s Name
- Email Address
- Phone Number
Dolly launched the Imagination Library in 1995 with books being distributed to children in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee. The program grew to other states and by 2003, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had mailed 1 million books to children. As of 2024, 3 million children have been enrolled worldwide.
“I want to make it easy for parents to read to their child,” Dolly says. “I want the child to feel the magic of a book arriving and the excitement of opening it up. This love of books will last a lifetime.”
Exposure to books helps children become better readers, be more prepared for school and develop essential life skills, research shows. Plus, families can connect around books. A committee of early childhood experts selects books and makes sure they are age-appropriate in content and format. The books also grow in complexity with the child. All the books focus on values such as kindness, respect, appreciation and empathy.
Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995. Nearly three decades later, the program mails around 3 million books out each month to children in five countries.
Imagination Library: Fun Facts
- Children enrolled at birth receive 60 books.
- The library operates in five countries.
- Nearly 3 million books are gifted each month.
- 36% of eligible Missouri children are enrolled.
- 23 Missouri counties have more than 50% of eligible children enrolled.
If you have a child or grandchild under age 5, you can enroll them to receive a free book every month until their fifth birthday. To enroll, visit ImaginationLibrary.com.