A trip to the mailbox is delivering more than just bills for Cuyahoga County residents—it’s delivering opportunity.

Since 2017, The Literacy Cooperative has partnered with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to send thoughtfully curated, free books each month to local children under the age of five, helping to build home libraries and support early literacy skills.

As of this October, The Literacy Cooperative has officially mailed out two million books to area children.

“This program introduces families to high-quality books they might not otherwise find or choose, providing enriching experiences and fostering brain development during the first three years of life, the critical window for language development,” Joan Spoerl, director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Cuyahoga County, said in a statement.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library familiesFrom Tennessee to Cleveland

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was founded in 1995 in Tennessee with the goal of ensuring that children—regardless of family income—have access to books.

“Dolly did not want this to be seen as a poor kids’ program,” explains Robert Paponetti, president and CEO of The Literacy Cooperative. “She wanted this to be seen as an every-kids’ program.”

Originally designed to promote a love of reading, the program has expanded over its 30 years by partnering with local literacy organizations to send millions of books to children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland.

In 2014, the Heights Family Foundation brought the Imagination Library to select school districts in Cleveland. The Literacy Cooperative partnered with the program in 2017, expanding it countywide with support from organizations including the Bruening Foundation, United Way, and local hospitals, which help enroll children at birth.

Now, as the lead affiliate for the Imagination Library in Cuyahoga County, The Literacy Cooperative coordinates enrollment and the distribution of more than 39,000 books each month. According to Paponetti, just under 40,000 of the county’s children are currently enrolled in the free program.

Northeast Ohio parents like Nichole S. have seen the positive impacts firsthand.

“It has been such a joy seeing my daughter's face light up when her Imagination Library book comes in the mail each month,” she says. “This program helps me get age-appropriate, quality books for my daughter that I cannot afford.”

Addressing literacy challenges in Cuyahoga County

While the program does foster a love of reading, as Parton had originally hoped, its impacts have gone far beyond her initial vision.

The Imagination Library's partnership with The Literacy Cooperative also addresses a need in our own Cuyahoga County, where 56% of kindergartners are not reading at grade level.

Paponetti explains that early exposure to books can help bridge this gap by providing children with the skills they need to succeed in school and beyond. This is critical because, as Paponetti points out, children who are not proficient readers by third grade are four times more likely to drop out of high school, leading to long-term challenges in the workforce.

“We find that too many children aren't getting the foundation they need,” he notes. “So how can we do a better job of supporting that parent and that family as their child's first teacher? That's where our focus is. And that's where Imagination Library is really helping move the needle.”

The Literacy Cooperative conducts an annual survey to measure the program’s impact.

“We ask lots of questions,” Paponetti shares, “but what I zero in on is, 'Does your child want to read more since getting these books?' The overwhelming answer is yes.”

Two-generational approach to Literacy

Beyond early literacy, The Literacy Cooperative adopts what Paponetti describes as a two-generational approach, blending a focus on early children’s literacy with adult education into a model that supports families as a whole.

“[In our survey], we also learned that 78% of families said they are reading more together now than before, and in Cleveland, that number is even higher—at 82%," he shares. “What a wonderful thing for our society—people are reading more!”

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library familiesTo further support its mission, The Literacy Cooperative has developed contextualized curricula for areas like manufacturing, healthcare, and IT, which are integrated into job training programs. Recently, more organizations have reached out to The Literacy Cooperative to incorporate this literacy support into their efforts.

“[This curriculum] will get people connected to training programs and pathway jobs that will really help them continue to move up in their earnings,” says Paponetti.

The organization has also expanded its reach by sharing valuable community resources with Imagination Library families. Through emails, they inform families about services such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, health fairs, and free events—helping them access opportunities they might otherwise overlook.

Additionally, The Literacy Cooperative has been working on establishing hands-on family programming out in the community in support of family literacy. This initiative, which began as a pilot program just before the COVID-19 pandemic, is gradually being reintroduced.

By addressing the root causes of low literacy from birth and providing support for children, adults, and families, The Literacy Cooperative ultimately hopes to raise literacy rates across Cuyahoga County.

“There comes a time when we have to stop just pulling people out of the river; we need to find out why they’re falling in,” adds Paponetti of the broader impacts, quoting Desmond Tutu. “When you think of educational attainment, we know why they’re falling in—kids aren’t getting the foundation they need. While we have to pull some out, we also need to prevent more from falling in.”

While the Imagination Library program is free for families, The Literacy Cooperative relies on donations to cover costs such as staffing and undeliverable books. A $25 donation supports one child’s enrollment for an entire year. To register your child for The Literacy Cooperative’s Imagination Library program, to donate, or to view a full list of the organization’s support offerings, visit The Literacy Cooperative’s website.