Longmont Rotary is partnering with Born to Read and the Longmont Community Foundation to bring Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to children and families throughout Longmont. The local affiliate was relaunched in May 2025, after the community had been without broad Imagination Library coverage for more than 10 years.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book-gifting program established more than 30 years ago to promote early childhood literacy. It provides a free, age-appropriate book every month to registered children from birth until their fifth birthday. Books are mailed directly to each child, creating the excitement of receiving their own book while encouraging parents and caregivers to read with them. Families can choose books in English or bilingual English-Spanish editions, and participation is available to every eligible child regardless of family income.
The Longmont initiative brings together three organizations with complementary roles. Longmont Community Foundation serves as the official local affiliate, managing the program’s funding and paying for books and postage. Longmont Rotary has taken responsibility for enrollment administration and helped provide the initial financial support needed to launch the program. Born to Read leads community outreach, using its longstanding relationships with local hospitals, childcare providers and early childhood organizations to make families aware of the program.
The impact in Longmont is already significant. As of the latest presentation, 888 children were actively enrolled, while 101 children had already graduated after reaching age five. That means the program has supported nearly 1,000 children since its launch. Enrollment has continued to grow steadily, demonstrating strong demand from local families.
Born to Read has served the St. Vrain Valley community for more than 30 years, providing two free board books to newborns at Longmont’s two hospitals. These literacy bags include books in English or Spanish, information encouraging parents to read to their babies, a first library card and an invitation to register for Imagination Library. This partnership is particularly important because Born to Read’s newborn program previously left a gap between infancy and the preschool years. Imagination Library now provides a continuing source of books during this critical period of rapid brain development.
The program currently costs approximately $1,100 per month based on enrollment, with Imagination Library Colorado covering approximately half of the book expense. The local partners are responsible for raising the remaining funds, including postage and other program costs. Longmont Rotary provided an initial $10,000 grant to help establish the program and ensure that sufficient funding was available as enrollment grew.
The partnership represents a practical example of Rotary’s commitment to strengthening the Longmont community. By putting books directly into the hands of young children, the program encourages families to read together, supports early brain development and helps establish the foundation for future educational success. Most importantly, it ensures that children across Longmont—regardless of their family’s financial circumstances—have access to books during some of the most important developmental years of their lives.