United Way of Olmsted County to continue enrollments into Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Program

May 23—ROCHESTER — Thanks to generous contributions from over 200 community members, United Way of Olmsted County (UWOC) will continue enrollments in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. In Olmsted County, UWOC has partnered with the Imagination Library program to distribute free, age-appropriate books to children aged 0 to 5-year-olds for nearly two decades.

The program's future in Olmsted County was under question earlier this year. In March, UWOC announced a campaign to raise $50,000 to fund the program, which costs $90,000 annually to operate. Although United Way did not reach that goal, the $40,000 raised is enough to continue enrollments for the time being.

"We are grateful for the overwhelming support our community has shown for this program. As we move forward, we hope to encourage enrollment of Olmsted County children who are less likely to already have a library at home. While we're excited to make this announcement, it doesn't change the fact that the cost of this important partnership continues to rise. The Imagination Library program currently costs us $90,000 annually, so we will continue to seek donations and sponsorships," said UWOC President Jerome Ferson in a press release.

In 2023, UWOC purchased and distributed over 42,000 free books to more than 3,500 children in Olmsted County, reaching nearly a third of area kids. Since 2014, UWOC has distributed over 400,000 books.