Marcella Foundation and Dolly Parton's Imagination Library provide free books to local children

MARCELLA FOUNDATION PARTNERS WITH DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY TO OFFER FREE BOOKS TO ALL CHILDREN AGES 0 TO THEIR 5TH BIRTHDAY LIVING IN EL DORADO COUNTY  

First 5 El Dorado, El Dorado County Library, Friends of the Library, El Dorado Community Foundation, and United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra partner with Marcella Foundation to launch Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for 8,000 children living in El Dorado County.

South Lake Tahoe, CA: Marcella Foundation is thrilled to announce the launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in El Dorado County. Each month, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will provide an age-appropriate book for each registered child, absolutely free to the family. All 8,000 children ages 0 to their 5th birthday living in El Dorado County can enroll now to receive a free monthly book. Any child in the home can register, and books are available in both English and Spanish. In a show of support for early literacy for all children in our region, First 5 El Dorado, El Dorado County Library, Friends of the Library, El Dorado Community Foundation partnered with Marcella Foundation to help launch Imagination Library. Additionally, United Way of Northern Nevada and the Sierra is providing the initial funding to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to each of the communities surrounding Lake Tahoe. 

The Marcella Foundation, founded in 2023 by South Lake Tahoe native Sean Fannan, operates with a mission to think big and make a difference in South Lake Tahoe and beyond in three key areas: FEED, READ, and LEAD. “We are thrilled to partner with so many amazing organizations to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to the region,” said Melissa Uppendahl, Executive Director of Marcella Foundation. “This is truly a collaborative effort to improve outcomes for all children living in our area. While improving children’s literacy skills by the 3rd grade is our most pressing goal, this program aims to help families build literacy skills at home and cultivate a love of reading at a young age.”

Improving early childhood literacy with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library creates opportunities for children to thrive and succeed in school, helping their communities grow and prosper. Kathi Guerrero, Executive Director of First 5 El Dorado, stated, “We believe that parents are a child’s first teacher. The first years of life are critical for a child’s learning and development, and the Imagination Library encourages connection and bonding between caregivers and children during those critical years. We’re excited to bring this program to our region.”

Children in homes with more extensive home libraries are known to read more, have higher-level reading skills, and attain more years of education than those with access to fewer books. “If children enroll in the Imagination Library at birth, they will receive over 60 books by the time they enter kindergarten. We’re excited to help families build their home libraries and encourage a culture of reading at home,” said Bryce Lovell, Director of Library Services, El Dorado County Library. He added, "Children who are read to at an early age and who spend time with books are more likely to become proficient readers, and with that skill, they are better equipped to learn, discover, and grow."

To register your child, please visit: www.marcellafoundation.org/dolly

About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library:

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 200 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and Local Community and [State/Provincial/National] Partners. The Imagination Library mails more than 2.6 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month from birth to age five - at no cost to families. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More. The program’s impact has been widely researched, and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.