About Imagination Library Denver
Mission
Imagination Library Denver’s (ILD) mission is to increase literacy in the Denver metro area by ensuring all young children may participate in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. ILD believes reading begins at birth, the benefits of a home library go far beyond the books, and parents/guardians are a child’s first and best teacher. By providing books at no cost to families, the Imagination Library increases childhood literacy rates, fosters a love of books, and promotes a culture of reading among underserved families in high-risk communities in Denver and beyond.
About
In 2015, Imagination Library of Denver (ILD) launched a pilot program with 30 children at
Family Star Montessori. Since its creation, ILD has expanded into 100% of Denver's
neighborhoods, providing coverage to all children ages 0 to 5 within all of Denver’s zip
codes. Throughout just 8 years of operation, ILD has delivered 149,106 dynamic, diverse,
and age-appropriate books and has graduated more than 2,912 students who exhibited
kindergarten readiness based on assessments.
The importance of equitable access to early childhood books couldn’t have been
emphasized more than when Governor Polis signed SB20-185 on July 10, 2020, creating a
statewide Imagination Library (IL) program. This commitment to match every dollar raised
for books throughout the state offers a significant incentive for the organization to work
with local philanthropists, businesses and individual donors who can leverage the
matched dollar to sustain the program.
Our Goals
Enroll all children
in the Denver
Increase donations to
support all of Denver's
children 0- 5 years old
Increase kindergarten
readiness by providing
books to Denver children
