Ventura County families could start receiving free children's books in the mail if organizers raise another $50,000 by Thursday, Oct. 1.
The Ventura County Library Foundation is working to bring Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to the county. The program mails one free, age-appropriate book each month to enrolled children from birth through age 5. Organizers have raised about $50,000 of the $100,000 needed to begin registering families, the Camarillo Acorn reported.
All donations go toward books.
Nancy Cooper, a retired Thousand Oaks elementary school teacher and foundation board member, and Kathleen Turner, a fellow retired Thousand Oaks teacher who directs the local program, started the effort two years ago after learning about an Imagination Library in Siskiyou County. Cooper said 45 of California's 58 counties already have programs.
The program uses a 50-50 funding model. Local fundraising and the state each contribute $15.50 per child for a year of books, Cooper and Turner told the Acorn. Books are available in English and Spanish and are selected by early childhood experts. A child enrolled from birth could receive 60 books by age 5, Turner said.
The $50,000 raised so far has come from grants, individual donations and community organizations. Organizers want to hit $100,000 by Oct. 1 and raise $200,000 by the end of 2026 to sustain the program. The Ventura County Board of Supervisors endorsed the effort earlier this year, according to the Acorn.
"What better way to honor Dolly than to put a book in the hands of every child in our county?" Cooper said.
The fundraising push gained visibility at an Aug. 31 tribute at Hill Road Library in Ventura, organized by Khaled Omar and other volunteers. Residents gathered to remember Parton, who died Aug. 25 from cancer at age 80, and to learn about the book program. Camarillo resident Liam Hernandez was among those who attended, posing with a Dolly Parton cardboard cutout.
Residents can donate at imaginationlibraryventura.com.
Coming up: Thursday, Oct. 1 is the fundraising deadline for the Imagination Library launch. Check the website for donation updates and enrollment details.
