When we learned that Dolly Parton had passed away on Aug. 25, so many of us in Santa Cruz County felt the loss personally, not just as fans of her music, but as a community lucky enough to carry a piece of her legacy forward.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become part of the fabric of our community. Every month, free high-quality books arrive in the mail, addressed to children under age five. For families, it is more than a book. It is a moment to connect, nurture a child’s imagination and build a lifelong love of learning.
On Sept. 25, communities around the world will honor her legacy through the first-ever Give Like Dolly Day, celebrating her lifelong commitment to children, reading and giving back.
Here in Santa Cruz County, we’re also celebrating our own milestone. October marks one year of putting amazing books into the hands of Santa Cruz County’s youngest readers through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. This program has helped make books a regular part of childhood for local families. And while one year is a milestone, it is also just the beginning.
Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who never learned to read or write. What began as a gift to the children of her home county in East Tennessee has grown into the largest early childhood book-gifting program in the world, mailing more than three million books every month to children in five countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
As Dolly liked to say, “If you can read, you can do anything, dream anything and be anything.” Locally, First 5 Santa Cruz County serves as the lead partner, the backbone organization coordinating outreach, enrollment and sustainability, alongside our founding partner United Way of Santa Cruz County.
Since we mailed our first book almost a year ago, we’ve sent nearly 20,000 books to children in our community! Today, over 3,000 local children are enrolled and receive a brand-new, age-appropriate book each month, building home libraries and a love of reading from their earliest days, at no cost to their families. Bilingual English/Spanish books are also available, and 38 percent of enrolled families have chosen that option, a reflection of the community we serve.
The difference this makes is not just a feeling; it’s backed by research. A groundbreaking international study led by Claire Galea of United Way Australia, drawing on the largest dataset in the world on shared book reading, surveyed more than 86,000 caregivers across five countries. It found that after just 10 books, children in the program were at least four times more likely to show stronger early literacy skills, such as vocabulary and phonological awareness, than children who weren’t enrolled. Enrolled children were also nine times more likely to be read to four or more days a week.
In the United States, children in the program were 11 times more likely to be interested in books and 15 times more likely to join in during shared reading. These aren’t small nudges. They’re the building blocks of kindergarten readiness, happening one monthly book at a time.
We encourage you to help foster a young child’s sense of wonder, excitement for learning and early literacy by enrolling a child under five in your life.
Dolly often called her local Imagination Library partners the “true heroes” of the program, because they’re the ones who raise the funds, build community support and make sure every eligible child gets signed up.
This Give Like Dolly Day, you can be one of those heroes too. Honor Dolly’s legacy by donating to the Imagination Library of Santa Cruz County or simply share how you’re giving using #GiveLikeDolly.
One year in, nearly 20,000 books have already found their way into local homes and hearts. Let’s make sure the next 20,000 arrive even faster, and that Dolly’s legacy of dreaming big keeps growing right here in Santa Cruz County.
For more information about enrolling a child or donating: bit.ly/DPILSantaCruzCounty
