Sarasota County Libraries became an affiliate of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library in 2008, bringing the gift of a book each month to local children.
Our participation is made possible through the generous support of the Library Foundation for Sarasota County, which allows us to provide Imagination Library books to local children each month.
Since becoming an Imagination Library affiliate, Sarasota County Libraries has provided over 250,000 books locally, helping 9,538 children under age 5 build home libraries and develop a love of books.
What is Dolly Parton's legacy in encouraging a child's love of reading and promoting early literacy development?
For thirty years, she raised awareness about the importance of childhood literacy with a concept as simple as placing books in the hands of young children. Her program helps parents build the habit of reading aloud to their children, which is vital for a child's literacy development, while inspiring children themselves to love books! The donations show the community recognizes the importance of this work.
How can someone enroll a child?
Thank you for your interest! Our affiliate page includes an online registration form, a PDF form to print and mail to us, and a donation portal:
imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/FLSARASOTA/
Please note:
- Children must be full-time permanent residents of Sarasota County to register.
- Children cannot be registered prior to birth.
What expenses are involved in running this program? How do donations help sustain the program?
Our expenses are $2.30-$2.50 per child, per month, which pays for the book and the postage. A donation of $31 allows us to enroll one child for a year.
What kind of support does this program receive? How has that changed since Dolly's passing?
Historically, our local program has been funded entirely by Library Foundation donors and fundraising. We typically receive only one to three direct donations per year on our Imagination Library portal.
However, following Dolly's passing, we received nearly 20 direct donations in just a few days, showing the community wanted to honor Dolly and help carry her vision forward.
How can I support this program?
We greatly appreciate your donation through the Donate button on imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/FLSARASOTA/.