A popular literacy program is expanding across the state of Arkansas. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library mails free books to children up to 5-years of age at no cost to families.
As Little Rock Public Radio reports, Arkansas State Senator Clark Tucker (D-Little Rock), credits Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R-Ark.), with ensuring the program’s future in Arkansas. “No one can question Governor Sanders’ fierce commitment to childhood literacy because she understands the impact that that has in every facet of a child’s life. She understands that 85% of our cognitive development takes place before our 5th birthday, but that 95% of our education dollars are spent after a child’s 5th birthday.”
Governor Sanders says the state is dedicating funds to alleviate the cost of expanding the Imagination Library to every county in Arkansas. “The state of Arkansas is now committed to covering half of the cost of enrolling a child in Imagination Library, cutting the cost for local communities from $30 down to $15.
And UAMS [University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences] is now partnering with Pulaski County Imagination Library to ensure every baby born in this hospital is automatically enrolled in the program. We hope to expand partnership to hospitals across the state.” Arkansas also launched a statewide bilingual English/Spanish book collection in 2025.
