Thirty years ago, Dolly Parton launched her Imagination Library in her hometown as a tribute to her father. “He was the smartest man I have ever known, but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams,” Parton says. It became her mission to spread a love of reading by distributing books to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee.
By 2016, the Imagination Library was mailing one million books every month to children from birth to age five, regardless of family income. Today there are more than 2,700 branches across the United States, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and the United Kingdom.
Rochester’s own chapter was started in 2021 by Matthew Present, MD, a pediatric hospitalist and assistant professor of pediatrics at University of Rochester Medicine, with the help of the Rochester Education Foundation. “It really is a pediatrician’s dream—a scalable, evidence-based program that meets families where they are to spur development in those particularly consequential first years of life,” says Present. “In a world where almost everything seems divisive or controversial, we can all still rally around the beauty and importance of a bedtime story—especially when Dolly Parton is involved.”
As of April, this chapter has officially found a new home at United Way of Greater Rochester. Community program manager Lindsey Dailey is a huge fan of Dolly Parton and the Imagination Library. As a social worker trained in trauma, illness, and grief, Dailey worked in schools for ten years doing crisis intervention and management. She was also director of My Brother’s Keeper, cultivating leadership and supporting young men in Rochester to achieve their full potential.
Support from her community in Batavia shaped Dailey into the person she is today. “My mom was sick on and off throughout my life,” Dailey says. “I felt like I was put here to help others because my family needed help at one point in time, and if I can help even one family, that would mean the world to me.”
Dailey often thinks about the families she has worked with as she sits down with her own two daughters, Everleigh, age eight, and Elsie, age five, to read a book before bedtime. “It’s all about human connection and creating lasting memories,” says Dailey, fondly remembering books like The Berenstain Bears as the vehicle that brought her family together at the end of the day. “My mom saved those books for me,” she says. “Now I get to share them with my girls.”
Those girls also love unwrapping the books with the volunteers who are passionate about the program. Besides getting to know her incredible team, the best part for Dailey has been building relationships and trust with the families. “When I’m on the phone with them, we start talking about Dolly, but then it rolls into a different conversation.”
The team at United Way knows that introducing an early love of reading sets children up for lifelong success as kindergarten readiness is linked to third-grade proficiency and even graduation rates. And this program is making a big difference to the 4,630 children enrolled here in Rochester.
The authors and illustrators of the selected books are just as excited as the children who receive them. Author Laura Gehl says, “Having Donut selected was unexpected and such a huge honor. Every time I think about kids all over the country receiving our book in the mail, it makes me smile.”
“I’ve been a fan of the genius Dolly Parton for as long as I can remember,” says Dinos That Drive author Suzy Levinson. “One of her most famous quotes is ‘Find out who you are and do it on purpose,’ which I think perfectly encapsulates why so many of us write children’s books.”
Thanks to Dolly Parton, some of these books are coming to life onstage. When Something Wild was selected by Parton’s library to become part of the Imagination Playhouse Repertoire, author-illustrator Molly Ruttan was overwhelmed with shock and joy. “Traveling to Dollywood to see the production and meet the wonderful director, cast, and crew was strangely surreal, wonderfully exciting, and extremely moving,” Ruttan says. “Absolutely unforgettable. I am so profoundly grateful to all of the people who made this happen.”
And right here in Rochester, Lindsey Dailey is profoundly grateful for Matthew Present, his team of volunteers, and the generous donations from the community that have made this all possible. “To see how the chapter has taken off brings me a lot of joy, and so does knowing that with Lindsey and the United Way team, the program is in excellent hands,” says Present. “And as a parent who has two young kids of his own enrolled, I can say with confidence that our lives are enriched by the diverse array of stories that have arrived in our mailbox each month.”
The Rochester area is home to other Imagination Libraries, including chapters in East Rochester and at the Palmyra-Macedon library. In preparation for her role, Dailey spent time with the leaders of other local chapters as well as United Way–run branches in Syracuse and Albany.
“It’s really integral to our mission,” says Erin Bombard, senior director of marketing and communications. “We believe in cultivating that next generation and providing every resource that they need to succeed. And it’s just so special to have a book in your home that’s yours.”
A life-size cardboard cutout of Dolly Parton stands beside the front desk at the United Way offices. “She makes you feel like you’re a part of something, and I think that’s why this library has been so successful,” says Dailey. “She brings so much passion to all of her work.”
Today, one in seven children under the age of six in the United States receives a book in the mail every month thanks to the vision of one woman from Tennessee. “My Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done,” says Parton. “Let’s share this dream that all children should grow up in a home full of books.” To learn more about how to volunteer or donate, visit rochesterimaginationlibrary.org
This article originally appeared in the July/August 2026 issue of (585).
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