Our Imagination Library sends a book to about 3,000 local children each month, at no cost to their families--putting them on the track for a lifetime of reading!
We’re proud to administer this life-changing program for young children in Missoula and Mineral counties.
What is Imagination Library?
Imagination Library, founded by Dolly Parton in 1995, is a book gifting program that mails a brand-new, age-appropriate book to enrolled children every month from birth until five years of age at no cost to participating families. Imagination Library creates a home library of up to 60 books and instills a love of books and reading from an early age. Today, children in many parts of the U.S.A., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland participate in this fun program! Our Imagination Library started in 2015, and has mailed more than 250,000 books to children in Missoula and Mineral counties.
How it works: Parents sign up either electronically or by form and receive a book until the child’s fifth birthday for a total of 60 books. One organization “houses” the program, often a United Way because of our unique ability to convene community wide initiatives.
United Way of Missoula County administers and funds the program for Missoula and Mineral Counties. Click here to sign up electronically.
2 ways to support our program:
1. Give to United Way--your $35 donation sponsors a child for a whole year.
2. Give at Imagination Library and select giving to your local affiliate (then choose Missoula/ United Way of Missoula County).
Books for your lobby?
Does your business have a lobby or waiting area where young children wait/spend time? If so, we'd like to bring you a package of Imagination Library books for children to read while they're waiting. Please email Eric Legvold to find out more about this opportunity, and to request books for your lobby.
This program is made possible through the generous support of our sponsors: First Security Bank, Missoula Sentinel Kiwanis, and generous individual donors. United Way of Missoula County administers the program locally, providing funding for the shipping each month and enrolling children.
It is critical that children are ready to succeed when they start kindergarten (cognitively, socially, emotionally and physically) so they can learn. To ensure that children are prepared to start school, Imagination Library's goals and objectives are to:
- Increase the number of books in the homes of children (the number of books is an important contribution to childhood reading),
- Increase literacy activities in the homes of participating children,
- Increase parent-child interaction in the homes of participating children,
- Increase kindergarten readiness,
- Enable parents to feel good about engaging with their children in positive ways.
United Way of Missoula County is thrilled to offer this program! To register your child or a grandchild, click here.
WE are proud to have some supporters helping to provide this program, but we could still use your help.
To help support the costs of the books (about $32 per year per child), click here to make a donation to United Way of Missoula County.
