Surge in Interest for Imagination Library in Will County

Interest in the Imagination Library of Will County has surged after the passing of Dolly Parton, the founder of the national program. Over 730 parents in the area signed up since Parton’s death on August 25. The library provides free, age-appropriate books to children up to age 5.

Dolly Parton started the Imagination Library in 1995 to inspire a love for reading among young children. The Will County chapter began in July 2025, thanks to an initiative between the county executive’s office and the Will County Economic Development Foundation. County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant helped bring the program to Will County after discovering it during a conference in Nashville while serving as a state senator.

In December 2023, Parton announced an expansion of the program in Illinois, with $1.6 million allocated by Governor JB Pritzker in the 2024 fiscal budget. Bertino-Tarrant expressed her enthusiasm for joining the initiative due to her love of reading and the well-documented benefits it offers to children.

Over the past year, 8,800 children in Will County have received monthly books through the local Imagination Library. Approximately 1,100 of these children have graduated from the program by turning five years old. Currently, there are 7,720 actively enrolled children, with 736 recent sign-ups to add to the roster. Mike Theodore, spokesperson for the county executive’s office, noted that there is typically a registration of 100 to 130 new children each month.

“The benefits of reading to children at an early age are well-documented emotionally, socially, and academically.” – Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant

Will County leads the state in enrollments, says Theodore. However, the recent surge in interest has resulted in high traffic and delays on the online registration system managed by the Dollywood Foundation.

The passing of Parton also led to increased inquiries about financial support for the program. Residents and businesses can sponsor the Imagination Library through individual donations on the website. A $16 donation sponsors one child for a year, while $80 and $160 sponsor five and ten children, respectively. The program also benefits from corporate and nonprofit contributions.

Donations have greatly contributed to the library’s success. In May 2025, Jackson Generation donated $25,000 and promised another $25,000 this year. The Rotary Club of Joliet contributed $50,000 in June 2025. Amazon added $30,000 last year. Additionally, a fundraiser celebrating Dolly Parton’s 80th birthday in January raised sufficient funds to sponsor 875 children for one year.

Research indicates participation in the Imagination Library increases kindergarten readiness by 29%. This underscores the importance of the program in fostering early childhood education through carefully selected monthly books.