Monthly Delivery of Free Books in English and Spanish for Children Age Birth to Five

About the Program

Category: Libraries (Best in Category)

Year: 2015

According to a 2013 “Kids Count” profile, in Santa Fe County 46 percent of fourth grader students in Santa Fe County are proficient in reading. Less than half of the 13,000 students in Santa Fe school district read at grade level, Research has shown that when families have more books at home, kindergartners arrive at school with higher early language scores. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library program was founded by Dolly Parton in 1995 to increase reading among young children. The program provides a carefully selected book that arrives in the mail each month from the day the child is born until he/she is 5 years old. Santa Fe County partnered with United Way of Santa Fe County in December of 2014 to spearhead enrollment efforts and to implement this in our community. The Brindle Foundation of Santa Fe has joined the effort as well to provide Spanish language books. To date over 630 children have been enrolled and plans are in place to expand the program in 2015.