MONTGOMERY CO., Tenn. (WTVF) — Inside a room on Austin Peay State University’s campus, shelves are packed with books. “All of these are filled,” said Bobbette Boutan, who is the Chairperson of the Imagination Library of Montgomery County.
The growing collection has forced Boutan to get creative about storage, but she says it is a welcome challenge. “Over here they’re all full,” she said.
The books represent a program that has touched the lives of thousands of families across Montgomery County and beyond. Since the 1990s, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has mailed free, age-appropriate books each month to enrolled children from birth until they start kindergarten.
“Just in Montgomery County, we have distributed over a million books,” Boutan said. “There is nothing else like it.”
The goal is simple: encourage children to read and build a lifelong love of learning.
As children grow, the books grow with them. “And then as they go up, they get more advanced,” Boutan explained.
The program’s impact extends beyond a child’s bookshelf. Boutan said literacy outcomes tend to be stronger among children who participate. “Kids that are enrolled in Imagination Library actually score higher in their 3rd grade literacy than kids who are not enrolled,” she said.
For Parton, the program was always about more than books. “The reason Dolly Parton started Imagination Library is because her father couldn’t read,” Boutan said.
That personal mission has resonated deeply with families, educators and volunteers for decades, making Parton’s death especially difficult for those who have dedicated themselves to the program.
“I think I’m just in shock,” Boutan said. “I think we just can’t imagine a world without Dolly in it.”
Boutan leads the Montgomery County chapter of the Imagination Library, a separate nonprofit organization that helps ensure the books reach local children. While Parton’s foundation pays for the books themselves, local chapters help cover mailing costs.
In Montgomery County alone, that means covering postage costs for nearly 10,000 books every month. “It’s a lot to raise each and every month,” she said.
Even so, Boutan says support has grown in the wake of Parton’s passing. She hopes that generosity continues as the organization works to preserve and expand Parton’s legacy. “To keep this program running and to make a better world for our kids, we’re going to have to invest as Dolly did,” Boutan said.
The books stored at Austin Peay tell another story about that legacy. Many are donated copies provided through Goodwill and former Imagination Library recipients. After being cleaned, refurbished and relabeled, they will be distributed to children throughout the community. “Just getting these refurbished books into the hands of kids at that quantity is tremendous,” Boutan said.
For Boutan, the effort reflects everything Parton stood for: ensuring children have access to books and opportunities to learn. “The fact that she was willing to do this and the lives that she touched — you just can’t even fathom,” Boutan said.
As Montgomery County’s Imagination Library chapter continues its work, organizers hope the books, the program and the mission Dolly Parton started decades ago will continue inspiring children for generations to come.
By the way, if you want to donate to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, you can select your home county to ensure most of those funds go to local readers in your area.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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