Lenawee Imagination Library
Caring Hearts Build Strong Communities
The Lenawee Community Foundation proudly partners with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to place books into the hands of young children in our community, helping to provide a strong start and a brighter future through early literacy.
Community Impact
A year delivers 12 new books to a Lenawee child.
Books delivered to children through Lenawee Imagination Library
Satisfaction rate among families enrolled in the program.
Why it Matters:
- 90% of brain development occurs by age five.
- 61% of low-income children lack access to books at home.
- Early literacy is one of the most important factors for a child’s future, yet Michigan’s early literacy rate is declining.
- Nearly 50% of Lenawee’s children start school without necessary reading skills, directly influencing their future educational outcomes.
- Children in the Imagination Library program are over 34% more likely to be ready for Kindergarten.
- Only 20% of Lenawee’s children are currently enrolled in the Lenawee Imagination Library.
With this program, any child—birth to age 5—living in Lenawee County can receive a new book each month, mailed directly to their home. The $31 cost per child to provide this service is raised annually so there is no cost to the family.
Books are selected with great care to meet the different needs of children, supporting milestones for early childhood development, and moving children closer to school readiness with every book. With a wide variety of titles, children are provided with both relatable stories and exposure to diverse cultures, ideas, and backgrounds to help them build a greater understanding of their place in the world around them.
Through the Lenawee Imagination Library, we are bridging educational gaps, building confidence in our youth, and creating a better future for our entire community.
How it Works:
Any child—birth to age 5—living in Lenawee County can enroll in the program at a nearby library, free of charge.
- Adrian District Library
- Clinton Township Library
- Hudson District Library
- Lenawee District Libraries:
● Addison
● Britton
● Clayton
● Deerfield
● Onsted
- Schultz-Holms Memorial Library (Blissfield)
- Stair District Library (Morenci)
- Tecumseh District Library
Each month a new, carefully selected book is mailed directly to the child’s home.
Collecting age-appropriate books at home encourages parents to read to their child, supporting early childhood development during the preschool years.
The program is sustained through donations to the Lenawee Imagination Library Endowment fund, which covers annual costs of the program, now and forever.
Donate to Support this Program
Your gift to the Lenawee Imagination Library will help to give all children in our community a strong start in school and in life.
Every gift, no matter the size, is pooled and invested forever, making it possible for everyone to contribute to this program in a
meaningful, lasting way.