Imagination Library Enrollment is Paused. Here's Why and How You Can Help.

"My children run to the mailbox for these books. They look forward to them. They love them." — Grays Harbor parent, 2025

That's what Dolly Parton's Imagination Library looks like in real life. Not a statistic. Not a program outcome. A kid sprinting to the mailbox because something wonderful might be waiting.

What Imagination Library Does

Every month, 1,800 children in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties receive a free, age-appropriate book, delivered directly to their home, addressed to them by name.

From birth until they start kindergarten. No cost. No hoops. Just a book in the mail, every single month.

We surveyed 58 local families this year. What they told us was clear. This program changes things.

50 out of 58 said it is helping prepare their child for kindergarten. Siblings read them. Grandparents read them. One book a month reaches an entire household.

For many families these are the first new books their children have ever owned. And then there's this. Kids who sprint to the mailbox. Who bring their books to preschool for show-and-tell. Who shout "YAY DOLLYYYYY" when a new book arrives. Donate online at unitedwaygraysharbor.org/donate 

What Changed

According to the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction:

“The entirety of funding previously allocated for the Imagination Library was removed from the state budget.”

Because the program relies on a shared state and local funding model, that decision has a direct impact on communities like ours. A few years ago, the state stepped in to help cover half of the program’s budget. It was a partnership we were grateful for. One that allowed us to grow enrollment and reach more families.

This year, that support was eliminated from the state budget entirely. Not reduced. Not phased out. Gone.

That means we now have to replace half the program's entire budget from within our own community. New enrollment is paused while we work to close the gap.

We are not giving up on this program. Imagination Library is one of the most powerful things we fund and the families we serve are counting on us to find a way forward. Help us fill the gap.

"My son has severe autism and since participating in the program, he has an increased interest in books. He's nonverbal and this gives me hope that with me continuing to read to him, he'll eventually be verbal. However, my daughter is not even 2 yet and LOVES imagination library books. She is nonstop talking." — Grays Harbor parent, 2025

How You Can Help

Every dollar raised goes directly to keeping books in local mailboxes.

• $25 keeps books coming for 10 kids for a month

• $100 enrolls 4 kids for an entire year

• $500 keeps the whole program strong

  (Please note “Imagination Library” so we can direct your gift.)

Donate online at :

Support Now

Prefer to send a check? Mail it to: United Way of Grays Harbor, 2721 Simpson Avenue, Aberdeen, WA 98520. Just write "Imagination Library" on the memo line.

If giving isn't possible right now, sharing this post is a real and meaningful way to help. The more people who know what's happening, the better chance we have of closing this gap together.

United Way of Grays Harbor connects local donors with local programs. Every dollar raised here stays here.