In July, the path forward to a statewide Imagination Library was officially on the books, thanks to House Bill 1075 establishing a statewide Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Virginia Program.
It’s been roughly six months since that bill took effect, so how exactly is the statewide rollout coming along?
Well, it’s complicated.
“Any time you do anything that involves government, it is not the fastest moving thing,” said Del. Carrie Coyner (R–Chesterfield), who helped write the legislation expanding DPIL.
“At this moment, our friends at Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, our local affiliates and our state department of education are still working out all the details of that underlying mechanism by which we put that statewide plan into place.”
What does Imagination Library do, again?
The program itself is designed to help children develop literacy skills and a lifelong love of reading by receiving a free book in the mail every month from birth to age 5 to help build personal libraries.
“The real benefit is just that start of a home library receiving books in the mail, kids reading and being read to at younger ages, and we know how impactful that is on brain development and literacy skills,” said Coyner.
What’s next?
For the time being, it’s still up to Virginia localities to roll out their own programs ahead of a full statewide integration.
Since HB1075 became law, more outreach groups have cropped up throughout the commonwealth, including local groups who’ve been working to increase the program’s reach like the Junior Federated Women’s Club of Chester and the Rotary Club of Hopewell.
According to Coyner, people have been very “energetic” when it comes to spreading the Imagination Library word. She’s hopeful that once there’s a stronger underlying network for state support, people can lobby for additional state funding to make it easier for people to continue getting books in the hands of kids. In April, Coyner said it costs about $26 per child each year to get books mailed out to children, and with a statewide program in place, matching funds via large private donors or even the state can bring that cost down to as low as $13.
Earlier this year, the delegate participated in Chesterfield County Public Schools’ El Librotazo. The “big book party” is an event where children through high school age can pick out three to five books for their home libraries.
There, she saw how people were appreciative of the program because of the difference it has made.
“At that event, the Women’s Club of Chester was there signing up families for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, and so many families came up who had older kids with them, and were very thankful that they had the opportunity to have books mailed to them.”
Coyner added that grandparents had come up to the group who were excited to see the program in Virginia, because they had grandkids in other states who were excited about Imagination Library. In Hopewell, the Rotary Club has been working hard in their efforts to spread the program, and during every meeting talking about the program’s impact people love to share stories about what it means to families to be able to receive books for their children.
“You don’t go to an event where you don’t hear somebody in Hopewell talking about the impact they’ve had.”
As of Sept. 9, 2024, 72 of Virginia’s 95 counties have a DPIL program, along with 25 of the commonwealth’s 38 independent cities, with more than 67,000 kids enrolled in the program.
The Little Engine That Could remains one of the most popular books that kids receive, and not just because it’s the first book they get when they are signed up for the program.
“I think that’s the beauty of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. I do think it sparks some of your own childhood experiences, because of the books that you receive in the mail.” Coyner said.
Looking ahead to the future, Coyner hopes that there will be more funding in place for the program, especially with the statehouse set to meet in a matter of weeks.
The foundation for the program has been set to expand statewide, and there’s still work to be done to make sure it becomes a reality.
With full funding, Virginians won’t have to “wonder” if a group wants to help participate and get books to families of Virginia’s youngest learners. It’s Coyner’s hope that “you can do that in Tidewater and Southwest Virginia and Richmond; and anywhere you go in Virginia.”
Looking ahead to the future, there’s a hope to see how kids who started with the program are progressing in school as they get older
What happens if a local Imagination Library nonprofit closes?
While the statewide program is still in the works, independent nonprofits have sponsored Imagination Library branches for years across the commonwealth. In the Shenandoah Valley, the program was funded by the United Way of Staunton, Augusta County and Waynesboro — which ceased operations in November 2024.
When the local United Way’s closure was announced, the Community Foundation of the Central Blue Ridge was asked to step in and become the region’s new affiliated organization. Currently, CFCBR’s leaders are completing the paperwork to complete that transition.
Luckily, there has not been a disruption in the local Imagination Library’s services for families already enrolled.
“Augusta Health plays a key role in registering families upon the birth of their children at Augusta Health, and they also played a financial role in this transition by ensuring that the remaining 2024 invoices for the Imagination Library were paid,” said CFCBR President Dan Layman. In an email to VPM News, Layman added that the foundation was collaborating with Lynda Harrill at QuickStart Tennis of Central Virginia “to guide us in expanding the reach of the Imagination Library to more SAW [Staunton, Augusta and Waynesboro] families.”
By working with other nonprofits in the region, the organization hopes to create a more comprehensive outreach plan to get as many families signed up as possible.
“Although we have not received state funding thus far, I understand that the State has a commitment to covering 50% of the cost per Virginia family enrolled in the DPIL,” Layman said in an email.
If something like an organization’s closure happens again in the future, Layman said that there are other groups in the area “including nonprofits and civic clubs” that want to support the program. “We will be reaching out to them, and we’ll welcome not only their financial support of the program, but also anything that they can contribute to our outreach efforts.”
