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21 July 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Singer, songwriter and philanthropist Dolly Parton is set to visit Kansas next month to celebrate her Imagination Library program.
The Office of the Governor announced the plans for the visit for Monday, Aug. 14 in a press release. This was accompanied by an announcement that every child in Kansas from birth to the age of five can receive free books every month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. In total, the Imagination Library has gifted more than 200 million books worldwide since it was launched in 1995.
“I am pleased that we have reached this amazing milestone – being able to provide the gift of reading for children and families across Kansas,” said Governor Laura Kelly.
The first Imagination Library site outside of Tennessee was established in Pratt, Kansas in 2005, according to the Office of the Governor. More than 52,200 children have enrolled in the program and more than 3.8 million books have been gifted to children since 2005.
Parton was inspired to start the Imagination Library program in 1995 due to her father’s inability to read and write, according to the Office of the Governor. Her library program mails more than 2 million books directly to children’s homes every month at no cost to families. You can find more information about the program by clicking here.
Parton’s Imagination Library program has received support from local groups such as the Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library along with local groups like the Junior League of Topeka. To learn more about the Imagination Library of Kansas, click here.