Funding woes pause Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in Lexington

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program in Fayette County will be temporarily paused due to a lack of funding, Fayette Education Foundation officials announced Tuesday.

The pause is the result of rising program costs and limited sustainable funding, according to a news release from the foundation.

Parton’s Imagination Library Program, launched in 1995 to provide free books monthly to kids ages 5 and under, was made available in every ZIP code in Kentucky last year. More than 301 million books have been distributed around the world since the program’s founding.

“The Imagination Library has meant as much, if not more, to me than nearly anything that I have done,” Parton said last year when she visited Lexington.

To operate Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Fayette County, the Fayette Education Foundation must raise $8,000–$10,000 per month, representing half of the total program cost. The remaining half is funded by the Kentucky Legislature. At current enrollment levels, that equates to $96,000–$120,000 annually in local philanthropic support.

The Fayette Education Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports students, educators, and schools across Fayette County and operates independently from Fayette County Public Schools.

Children enrolled in the program will receive their January 2026 book as scheduled. Following the January mailing, book distribution will be paused while FEF works to secure additional funding needed to sustain the program locally.

“Imagination Library has been a treasured program for thousands of Fayette County families, and this decision was not made lightly,” said Carrie Boling, executive director of FEF. “Our commitment to early literacy remains strong, and we are actively exploring funding strategies to restore monthly book deliveries in the future.”

Foundation officials are working to contact nearly 8,000 families with active email addresses in the Fayette County program to ensure they receive timely and accurate information about the pause.

Community members, businesses, or organizations interested in helping sustain or restore the program are encouraged to contact the Fayette Education Foundation at c.boling@fayettefoundation.org, donate at fayettefoundation.org/giving, or visit fayettefoundation.org.

This story was originally published December 16, 2025 at 11:38 AM.