Imagination Library Expansion Into Montana Announced by Governor’s Office

Montana’s Imagination Library marked its statewide expansion this summer with the start of a program that gives free books to kids.

Headed by First Lady Susan Gianforte, Imagination Library of Montana partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. The Governor’s Office disclosed in June the development of the organization aimed at enhancing early childhood literacy.

“Witnessing the continuous growth of Imagination Library across Montana and its ability to instill a passion for reading in our state’s youngest readers is truly exhilarating,” commented First Lady Gianforte. “Our local collaborators have excelled in assisting families to enroll and spreading awareness about the availability of this program to all children in Montana under the age of 5.

“I am eagerly anticipating its ongoing expansion and influence.”

The initiative offers a monthly free book to any child under the age of 5 who enrolls in the program.

“Before the program was launched, it was limited to certain Montana counties, with around 9,500 Montana children registered,” stated a press release from the Governor’s Office. “Today, Imagination Library of Montana collaborates with 63 local program partners across all 56 counties, reaching nearly 24,000 eligible children in the state.”

According to reports, Montana is the 16th state to implement the program statewide. The release noted that the initiative falls under the Dollywood Foundation, a non-profit that has distributed over 200 million free books in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland.

The program dispatches more than 2 million “age-appropriate, high-quality books” monthly, as per the news release.

“Dolly envisioned fostering a lifelong love for reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More. Extensive research has been conducted on the program, showcasing its positive effects on early childhood development and literacy skills,” the release added. “Enhancing literacy to empower more Montana children and advocating for broader access to STEM education, especially for girls and students in rural communities, are the key initiatives of our First Lady.”

United Way of Missoula County shared this month that it had distributed its 300,000th book through the Imagination Library program since its establishment in 2015. It serves Missoula and Mineral counties and played a role in launching the program in Ravalli County.