PORTLAND, Ore. — Children ages 0 to 5 in Oregon are now able to receive a free book a month, thanks to a statewide expansion of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
“We know that every child is full of promise,” Gov. Tina Kotek said Wednesday. “And the expansion of this program across Oregon is another key step we are taking as part of a broader strategy to improve how we support our kids as they learn to read.”
The Imagination Library, launched in 1995, delivers one free book a month to children from birth to the age of 5 who are enrolled in the program. Over 220 million books have been gifted under the program.
Currently, more than 54,000 children across Oregon receive a free monthly book through 55 community programs already signed up with Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. Kotek said with the statewide expansion, she's hoping to get 65% to 70% of children in Oregon signed up.
How it works
Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month in the mail — at no cost to families. The program said each book selection is based on the child's age to ensure it's age appropriate.
Families in Oregon who are already registered with existing programs do not need to re-register and will continue to receive books without any interruptions, Kotek's office said.
Anyone interested can visit www.imaginationlibrary.com to find out if the program is available in their area, or to sign up to be notified when the program expands to their community.
Program funding
In 2023, the state Legislature allocated $1.7 million to the Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) to expand and administer the program statewide as part of Senate Bill 5506, a lump spending bill.
“Because of this program, many thousands of Oregon kids will learn to love reading," House Democratic Leader Ben Bowman said. "I am sincerely grateful to all those who played a role in developing this program in Oregon — and to Dolly and the entire team at DPIL for their vision in starting it.”