Logo courtesy of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

SACRAMENTO COUNTY, CA (MPG) - Just one year after launching in August 2025, the Sacramento County Imagination Library has reached a remarkable milestone: Nearly 10,000 children from birth to age five are now enrolled and receiving free, high-quality books each month. 

The achievement reflects a commitment to ensuring young children have access to books during the most important years of brain development and language growth. Through the program, children in targeted Sacramento County communities receive an age-appropriate book delivered directly to their home each month at no cost to families, helping build home libraries and foster a lifelong love of reading. 

“This milestone represents our collective commitment as a community to giving our youngest learners the right start from the beginning,” said Sacramento County Superintendent of Schools Jacqueline White. “Nearly 10,000 young children are building language skills, strengthening family connections through shared reading and developing a foundation for future success in school and life.”

The Sacramento County Imagination Library is part of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the internationally recognized book-gifting program founded in 1995. Locally, the program is supported through a partnership with United Way California Capital Region. 

The milestone also provides an opportunity to celebrate Dolly Parton's vision that every child deserves access to books, regardless of income or ZIP code. Today, her program reaches millions of children worldwide and has distributed hundreds of millions of books. 

The Parton family has shared that one meaningful way to honor Dolly’s legacy is by supporting the mission she championed: putting books into the hands of young children. Community members who would like to help expand access to local families may offer a donation by visiting https://bit.ly/SacramentoImagination.  

As the program enters its second year, Sacramento County leaders remain committed to expanding enrollment to the entire county and ensuring even more children experience the joy of reading from birth.