More than 6,500 children in Lancaster County are currently receiving free books every month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Kat Ousey, executive director of Linked to Literacy, says the Lincoln nonprofit became the local partner for the program in 2023, managing and funding it for local families.
Since then, about 135,000 books have been mailed to children across Lancaster County. Ousey says about 2,000 children have already graduated from the program after turning five. She says the impact goes beyond the number of books delivered.
“To me, that means thousands of little moments happening in homes across our community,” Ousey tells KLIN News. “Bedtime stories, child asking for the same book again and again and again like my kids did at that age, parents and children sitting together, children beginning to recognize words and seeing themselves in a story.”
Ousey says families also tell her how excited children are to go to the mailbox and find something addressed specifically to them. She says one of the strengths of the program is that every child from birth through age five is eligible, regardless of family income.
“I think that’s one of the most beautiful things, actually, about Dolly’s model is that there’s no stigma attached to it. That literally every child in our county and Lincoln, age 0 to 5, is eligible to participate.”
With Dolly Parton’s recent death, Ousey expects more families to sign up for the program. She hopes the increased interest will be accompanied by more donations so the program can continue to grow locally. Families can enroll their children by clicking here and entering their ZIP code to see if they are eligible.
Ousey tells KLIN News Parton’s legacy will continue through the children who develop a love of reading. “It’s about parents reading with their children and kids just falling in love with books at such an early age that makes my heart sing. And those families building their home libraries.”
(Photo: Imagination Library website)