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In 85 Indiana counties, all children under 5 can register to read free books delivered to their homes from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, an increase of 31 counties from a year ago.

But many children in the state’s most populous county, Marion, are still waiting for an Imagination Library.

Last year, the state announced a $6 million allocation to supplement local partners’ contributions to the Imagination Library. But currently, only two Marion County zip codes, 46201 and 46203 in eastern Indianapolis, are eligible to enroll in the program. The library estimates that more than 60,000 children in Marion County rely on the program.

By the end of the year, library staff hope to close that gap and get more children reading earlier. That goal is personally important to many staff and partners, as well as to Parton, a singer, philanthropist and founder of the program.

“This is for every child, regardless of their income, where they live or what their parents do,” said Katie Mullins, community engagement coordinator for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Indiana. “This is a program for every child because (Parton) knows what it’s like to grow up without anything.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, founded in 1995, gives away books to registered children from birth to age 5 in the United States and four other countries. In 2022, the program shipped about 2 million books worldwide each month, according to its website. The organization works with local partners in various states to provide the service.

To expand the program, the library requires partners with secured funding or a donation plan to cover the cost of the books. In Indiana, the state pays $1.10 per book per child per month, half the cost of the book, and the local partner is responsible for the other half.

That can be challenging for ZIP codes with larger populations, like those in Marion County, Mullins said. In addition to Marion, Boone, Lake and Morgan counties are not all covered by the program. As of this month, Allen and Hamilton counties are not covered at all.

In June, Gina Haile, a United Way area director, helped open an Imagination Library that would cover all of Montgomery County. Funding the program has been the biggest obstacle, she said. She received grants to cover her library’s planned expenses for the first two years, but so many children signed up in the first few weeks that she expects the funds will only last eight months.

“I laugh because it’s such a big problem,” Haile said. She’s glad to find more money because “it’s just obvious that our community wanted this.”

Most local branches need help getting the library started, Haile said, but after that it’s easier to maintain funding. She believes partnerships between nonprofits, businesses and local branches are the best way to achieve statewide coverage.

“It’s hard to start,” Haile said. “The program, the mission, the vision and the impact will sell themselves in the future.”

Mullins said the Indiana Imagination Library has set a goal of late 2024 for statewide coverage because that will be the end of Gov. Eric Holcomb’s term. Holcomb has prioritized expanding the program as one of his early literacy initiatives.

To check access by county or zip code, or to sign up to be notified when a program launches, use the Imagination Library lookup tool.

Haley Miller is a summer intern covering education in the Indianapolis area. You can reach Haley at [email protected].