Last Tuesday, country music icon Dolly Parton journeyed to downtown Lexington’s Lyric Theatre. There, she was honored by Governor Andy Beshear and First Lady Brittainy Beshear with the title of Kentucky Colonel. The celebration of Dolly Parton and her legacy was due to her success in bringing literature to children’s hands across the state through her Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program.
With her Imagination Library, every child entered in the program receives a free book every single month that is age-appropriate and personalized with the child’s name. This means no matter what age level or income status a child is, the Imagination Library guarantees they have access to high-quality reading material.
Since Henderson County first partnered with Dolly’s Imagination Library 20 years ago, the program has done wonders for children around the commonwealth. All Kentucky children up to age five are eligible for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. So far, around 120,000 youth are enrolled in the program—approximately 45 percent of those who can. All in all, over 6 million books have been delivered.
Locally, in Adair County, the story starts when Kim Bowman and Kasey Bardin, who were in attendance for Dolly Parton’s speech in Lexington. They had a passion for all children to have books. For Bardin, this started at a very young age.
“Books have been part of my life since I can remember. My parents read to me and always encouraged reading throughout my life. I know the impact that it had on me personally. I want every child in Adair County to experience that feeling of opening a new book. There’s so much possibility in each page,” she said.
In 2017, they began fundraising for Dolly’s Imagination Library by reaching out to the community and local businesses for sponsorships.
“You get the books at a very discounted rate but you have to pay for shipping and all that,” Bowman said. “When we first started this program, Imagination Library, what they recommended is you have to have the first two years in the bank… It’s kind of a funny story. I was pregnant with my fourth child, I worked in Columbia and Glasgow at TJ Samson and one of patients started talking about (getting free books with the Imagination Library) and I thought ‘we could do this.’ In order to start the program you have to have the estimated (costs) for the first two years. One of my first donors, who has since passed, without knowing how much we needed, wrote the check for the exact amount we needed to get it up and running.”
Thanks to Bowman, Bardin, Parton, and all who donated to make this possible, to date, 993 Adair County children have benefited from this effort. In 2024 alone, 500 children are registered so far and 500 have graduated. Statewide for 2024 so far, 114,443 kids have received books, according to Adair County Librarian LeeAnn Jessee.
Jessee describes the personal impact that the program has had on local children. She gave the anecdote that, “One day a mom came in with her little girl and the little girl saw the brochure holder with Dolly on it. The little girl said ‘Oh, Mommy, there is my friend Dolly who gives me books in the mailbox!’ The mom went on to tell me that she looks every day in the mail box in case Dolly has sent her a book!”
Jessee added that, “Dolly’s Imagination Library has done what all champions of reading wish for: the ability to deliver books to children’s doors so that they could begin the journey of life-long reading.”
“Our community has really supported it through these years and we’re thankful for that,” Bowman said.
Dolly’s Imagination Library is available in all 50 states and five countries. Those Adair Countians interested in enrolling their little reader can do so online at imaginationlibrary.com or swing by the library and pick up a brochure. This is a free program to all.
By Kenley Godby
kenley@adairvoice.com
