Funds > Imagination Library Fund

The Ohio Governor’s Office partnered with Athens County to bring the Dolly Parton Foundation’s Imagination Library to the children of Athens County!

What is the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library?

In collaboration with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library puts free books in the hands of children across Ohio, giving every child the chance to succeed inside and outside the classroom. The local team is coordinated through the Athens County Public Libraries, in partnership with Athens County Job & Family Services, OhioHealth O’BlenessHospital, Athens County Foundation, Athens City Schools, and Athens Noon Rotary Foundation.

The benefits of the Imagination Library go beyond children having more books. Early language development is critical to a child’s literacy, and participants receiving books through the Imagination Library see this development in real-time.

Success in Ohio

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital began its partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in 2015. The hospital served nearly 15,000 children in the first four years and produced great results through the initiative. An assessment showed that Kindergarten Readiness rose by 15.4% among participating children in just three years: from 42.9% in the 2016-2017 cohort to 58.3% in the 2018-2019 cohort.

To learn more, visit the ohioimaginationlibrary.org

Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library in Athens

If you are a resident of Athens County with children under the age of five, you are eligible to enroll in the program! You can register here or complete the paper registration form and mail it to the Athens County Public Libraries, 95 West Washington St., Nelsonville, OH 45764. If the child is in preschool, you can turn it in it to their preschool teacher.

In Athens, about 2,700 children in Athens qualify to receive free books every month. Every child under age five is eligible. Your gift to this fund supports children in Athens County.