Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Rochester, NY

We mail free, high-quality books each month to the homes of children from birth to age five.

  • Stack of Imagination Library books

    Support.

    Children enrolled in the Imagination Library are more likely to arrive ready to learn on the first day of school. For $26, you can put a new, high-quality book in the hands of a child every month for a year—an investment that will last a lifetime. All donations are fully tax-deductible and exclusively serve children in the City of Rochester.

  • Sign up.

    We’re delivering high-quality children’s books to Rochester’s children—one mailbox at a time. Since our launch in July of 2021, we’ve enrolled more than 3,500 children. If you live within the City of Rochester, sign up now to start receiving a brand new book every month for you and your child to share together!

Why We’re Worth It

The Imagination Library works wonders on kindergarten readiness and early literacy. But don’t take our word for it. Check out the scalable model, thrifty operations, and peer-reviewed outcomes research to learn more about the impact we can have together.

  • Validated

    Peer-reviewed studies have repeatedly demonstrated that children enrolled in the Imagination Library are much more likely to arrive to kindergarten ready to learn.

  • Scalable

    Thanks to the power of an efficient national organization that provides logistical know-how, we can rapidly expand throughout Rochester as soon as we have the funds.

  • Cost-effective

    We harness huge economies of scale to transform every dollar donated into $9 of impact. That’s how a $25 donation turns into a dozen brand new books delivered right to the doorstep.

  • Convenient

    Effective interventions change habits by lowering barriers. When we mail books directly to the home, we provide high-quality resources without imposing demands on families.

Teamwork makes the dream work.

The Rochester chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is the proud partner of the Rochester Education Foundation, a stellar 501(c)3 that serves as our fiduciary agent.