Most days, the mailbox holds little more than the ordinary—bills, notices and routine mail. But once a month, for one local family, a different kind of delivery marks a special occasion: “Aunt Dolly’s” book day.
“We joke and I call her Aunt Dolly,” said Lauren Patrick, whose son, Simon, is enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of West Virginia. “So I’ll say, ‘Look, Aunt Dolly sent you another book,’ and we immediately read it.” At just two years old, Patrick said Simon already recognizes the routine, expressing excitement when his monthly book arrives, addressed to him and signed by Parton. Moments like these are unfolding in homes across the state through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides free books each month to children from birth to age five.
This year marks the international program’s 20th anniversary in West Virginia, a milestone that underscores its growing role in early childhood literacy efforts. But its expansion also comes amid a shifting education landscape, raising broader questions about where early education investments fit into the state’s priorities.
Although the program was limited when former First Lady Gayle Manchin introduced it to the state in 2006, Jamie Lima, the state director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of West Virginia, said it has grown significantly ever since. As of 2026, West Virginia is one of only 20 states in which DPIL is available statewide, an initiative accomplished in July of 2021.
Through partnership with the Dollywood Foundation and Marshall University’s June Harless Center, the program, Lima said, maintains a shared mission built on Parton’s own values: “to expand equitable access to early education resources across Appalachia and inspire children to dream more, learn more, care more and be more.”
As Simon, who began the program as an infant, approaches the age of three, Patrick said these values have started to play out more tangibly in her own home, as her son points out images in the books and talks about the pages as she reads to him. With more than 24 DPIL books now in Simon’s library, Patrick said the program’s generosity hasn’t gone unnoticed in their home. “Sometimes I feel guilty because I’m like, I really hope we’re not taking a spot from somebody who needs the free books more than we do,” she said. “But it was presented to us as very much an every-child initiative.”
An every-child initiative, Lima said, is exactly what the program is designed to be. While some families enroll through their local library or online, others leave the hospital with registration already completed. To ensure access is not limited by internet availability, transportation barriers or family circumstances, organizers use targeted outreach and community partnerships to reach children where they are. “Through grant funding and select partnerships, we proactively target rural and underserved demographics to ensure program access,” Lima said.
Efforts like the Raleigh County Bookmobile help bridge gaps in the state’s rural communities by bringing both books and enrollment materials directly to families. A partnership with Healthy Grandfamilies also extends outreach to grandparents raising grandchildren, while additional collaborations ensure the program is accessible to children in foster care and those involved in abuse and neglect cases.
Regardless of their backgrounds, graduates of the program have shown measurable success inside and outside of the classroom. Studies by the Dollywood Foundation indicate more at-home reading, a 29% increase in kindergarten readiness and higher test scores in reading from kindergarten through third grade compared to non-participants. “When children enter school without exposure to books or being read to regularly, they can start behind, and that gap can widen over time,” Lima said. “Research indicates that children who are read to daily start kindergarten with pre-literacy skills that help them avoid being part of the 75% of children who begin behind and never catch up.”
Tarabeth Heineman, the executive director of the June Harless Center for Rural Educational Research and Development, said the earlier children engage with books, the greater the impact will be on their adult lives. With a strong background in early childhood literacy, Heineman said, “It’s in the research that babies touching books, holding books, having that engagement at an early age from birth makes a difference in the life of a child.” Additionally, Lima said a recent study from the Marshall University Center of Excellence for Recovery found a link between early literacy and long-term emotional health, including reduced risk of substance use.
But making these early successes possible on a statewide level requires more than research; it depends on sustained funding and community partnerships. As the local champion of DPIL of West Virginia, the June Harless Center partners with the West Virginia Department of Education to receive grant funding for the program each year. The West Virginia Legislature currently sponsors half of the program’s overall costs, while the remaining half is sponsored by school districts and local organizations.
However, the state legislature’s funding is not guaranteed on a yearly basis. Although the legislature doubled its annual funding for DPIL two years ago, Lima said the program advocates for its funding each year, especially as other programs risk budget cuts. In the past year alone, DPIL’s state budget has been threatened in Kentucky, Indiana and Washington.
The program’s reliance on annual legislative support also places it within a broader conversation about how education dollars are allocated in West Virginia, as lawmakers have expanded funding for private schooling and homeschooling initiatives in recent years.
As those priorities shift, Heineman said the effects on public education—from teacher layoffs to school closures—have been tangible.
“I’m not saying that options are bad, but the best option for our whole state is to fund our public schools,” Heineman said.
“It’s important that all children get those equitable opportunities,” she said. “That’s what the June Harless Center’s mission is: every child, no matter what ZIP code, receives the best, high-quality education they can.” For Patrick, that belief is personal. Coming from a family of teachers, she described access to a strong public education for her son as “non-negotiable.” Although Simon is only two, Patrick said she is already planning for his preschool and public school experiences. For now, though, Simon’s education continues at home, shaped in part by the books that arrive each month through DPIL.
- Cover: "The Little Engine That Could" and "Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!" are the first and last books, respectively, of the program. Photo by Baylee Parsons.
- Simon Patrick is a local two-year-old who's enrolled in the program. Photo courtesy of Lauren Patrick.
- State Director Jamie Lima represents DPIL of WV at the Dollywood Foundation. Photo courtesy of Jamie Lima.
- Simon interacts with his books more now as he approaches the age of three. Photo courtesy of Lauren Patrick.
- The Raleigh County Bookmobile is one of many programs that assists in DPIL enrollment for children in rural areas. Photo courtesy of Jamie Lima.
- Having began the program at birth, Simon now has over 24 books from DPIL in his home library. Photo courtesy of Lauren Patrick.
- Maggie Luma, Jamie Lima and Tarabeth Heineman represent the June Harless Center at the West Virginia Legislature. Photo courtesy of Jamie Lima.
- Gov. Patrick Morrisey made the HOPE Scholarship a top priority on his agenda this year. Photo courtesy of the Governor's Office.
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of West Virginia is housed on campus in the June Harless Center, located in the Education Building. Photo by Baylee Parsons.