Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library stays on track in Willow Springs

Recent budget cuts by the state of Missouri threatened access to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for kids statewide. For young readers in the Willow Springs School District, the local Rotary club is making up the difference. 

 

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free books to children ages birth to five years old. The program is intended to inspire an early love of reading. Over 3 million kids registered worldwide, and 318 million books have been given away. 

 

The books are free to participating families, but cost local sponsors $31.60 per child per year, reports longtime Willow Springs organizer Jimalee James. From 2023 to July 1, 2026, that cost was fully paid by the state of Missouri. Budget cuts this year mean no new children can be funded, though currently enrolled children will continue to be paid until December.

 

James has spearheaded the Imagination Library in Willow Springs since 2005, fundraising in those days from the community. 

 

In a July 11 interview, James told Howell County News that the Willow Springs Rotary Club will be filling in the gaps. No child in the Willow Springs School District boundaries who wants to participate will be turned away due to lack of funding. The program’s regional director confirmed to James July 9 that Willow Springs area is re-enrolled without missing a beat. 

 

There are 265 children in the Willow Springs school district enrolled in the program, and the more the merrier. 

 

If a child in your family would like to participate in the Imagination Library, paper applications are available at the Ferguson Building, the Willow Springs Public Library, and the school. Applications should be returned to Gloria Waggoner at Willow Springs Schools. Again, participation is 100 percent free to families. The program is open to all families, including private school and homeschoolers.