Imagination Library of Ventura County Announces Partnership With Ventura County Library Foundation

Foundation will provide overall management support for Imagination Library of Ventura County enabling county residents and institutions to make tax-deductible contributions

Imagination Library of Ventura County announced a new partnership with the Ventura County Library Foundation and the Ventura County Library to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to life right here in Ventura County. The program will offer high-quality, age-appropriate books — available in bilingual English/Spanish or English-only — at no cost, delivered monthly to any child in Ventura County from birth to age five.

Under the partnership agreement announced this week, the Ventura County Library Foundation will provide overall management and financial support for Imagination Library of Ventura County, including helping with fundraising. The Ventura County Library System will help with registration of Ventura County’s children. Because the Ventura County Library Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (Tax ID 46-2770894), monetary contributions that it receives for Imagination Library of Ventura County are tax-deductible under law.

“We are currently working to raise at least $100,000 from individuals, companies, and other institutions across Ventura County,” said Kathleen Turner, Program Director of Imagination Library of Ventura County. “Once we demonstrate local support by achieving our initial fund-raising target, we can begin registering children for the program,” she said, adding that “we’ll also receive matching funds from the State of California, as well as support on multiple levels from the Dollywood Foundation to implement this program in Ventura County.”

“We are delighted to join forces with the dedicated and passionate volunteers who have been working to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Ventura County’s more than 40,000 children between ages birth to five,” said Nancy Schram, Director of the Ventura County Library System. “We’re hopeful that as many families as possible across our county will take advantage of this outstanding program, which aims to help young children acquire a love for reading.”

Lauren Arzu, Executive Director of First 5 Ventura County, says, “Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a powerful opportunity to give every child in Ventura County a strong start. When a book arrives in a child’s home each month, it sparks curiosity, strengthens the bond between parent and child, and builds the early literacy skills that last a lifetime. First 5 Ventura County is proud to stand alongside the Ventura County Library Foundation in supporting this program. Because every child, in every family, in every zip code deserves the gift of reading.”

To learn more about Imagination Library of Ventura County, visit the program’s website at www.imaginationlibraryventura.com or contact the Library Foundation at (805) 677-7165 or at info@vclibraryfoundation.org . To learn more about California’s expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, visit https://www.library.ca.gov/services/to-public/imagination-library/

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 300 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 Partners.  The Imagination Library mails more than 3 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, 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.