A regional partnership is making it easier for Northern Kentucky families to enroll in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library starting at birth.
The partnership is between St. Elizabeth Healthcare, EducateNKY and the public libraries of Boone, Campbell and Kenton counties. Started by Dolly Parton, the Imagination Library is a national early literacy program that mails a free, high-quality book each month to children from birth to age five.
Through the Northern Kentucky collaboration, St. Elizabeth is now distributing QR-code postcards to all new parents in its postpartum units, reaching approximately 4,000 families each year. The flyer links directly to Dolly Parton Imagination Library enrollment, allowing parents to sign up before they leave the hospital. Nurses and managers are also introducing the program during daily rounds, helping ensure each family is aware of the no-cost early literacy resource.
“Our Family Birth Place is proud to partner with local libraries to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to families and their newborns,” said Teri Wilde, RN, Nurse Manager, Postpartum at St. Elizabeth Healthcare. “This collaboration ensures that every child born in our care begins life with the gift of literacy—receiving free, high-quality books delivered monthly from birth to age five. Together, we’re nurturing a love of reading and empowering families to build strong, story-filled foundations for their children’s futures.”
The initiative launched in late October/early November 2025 and has already received positive feedback from families. Early reports show that most new parents were previously unaware of the program and eager to enroll their child.
Book costs are covered through a three-way funding structure: Boone, Campbell and Kenton fund this program the same way. The state pays for 50% of the program. The libraries pay half of the remaining amount after the state pays its share, and then the schools pay based on the percentage of participants who live in their districts’ ZIP codes. For the rest of the commonwealth, the state pays 50%, and local funders cover the remaining 50%.
The Campbell County Public Library created the initial enrollment flyer for use at St. Elizabeth, and a Spanish-language version is currently in development to support Spanish-speaking families.
As part of a parallel outreach effort, the Boone County Public Library is launching a pilot initiative to place 10 life-size Dolly Parton cutouts in pediatrician offices across the county. The cutouts arrived as surprise deliveries late last year. Offices that display them will receive free books and social media promotion. Results from the pilot will help determine whether to expand the program regionally.
“We at Boone County Public Library are thrilled to highlight the incredible benefit of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for our community’s children, ensuring they receive the foundation for lifelong literacy right from the start,” said Boone County Public Library Executive Director Carrie Herrmann. “We are especially excited about our new partnership with St. Elizabeth Medical Center, which allows us to register children for this program immediately after birth. This collaboration simplifies the process for new parents and solidifies our commitment to investing in the future success of every child.”
Libraries will track enrollment increases directly linked to the hospital rollout using birth-year reporting. In Kenton County, where 611 children born in the last eight months are already enrolled, partners expect to see significant growth in program registration in early 2026 as the St. Elizabeth distribution becomes fully established.