Dolly Parton's Imagination Library returns to King County

How it works: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library mails a free book each month to enrolled kids under 5.

• The national organization selects the books and manages logistics, while state and local partners pay for books and mailing.
• Washington's Legislature agreed in 2022 to cover 50% of those costs statewide, with local partners responsible for the rest.

Yes, but: State lawmakers cut funding for the program last year as they grappled with a multibillion-dollar budget shortfall.

• One of King County's local partnership groups also stepped back last year, causing the program to lapse in most of the county.
• The program halted new enrollments in most King County ZIP codes last September. It also stopped sending books to roughly 11,000 King County kids who were already signed up, Brooke Fisher-Clark, executive director of the Imagination Library of Washington, told Axios.

Now, the nonprofit Page Ahead Children's Literacy Program has stepped forward to help manage the program in King County.

• Two foundations also contributed money this year to help fill the state funding gap.
• That allowed the program to resume sending books to kids countywide on Sept. 10, and to start accepting new enrollments, Page Ahead's executive director, Susan Dibble, told Axios.

What they're saying: "Our mission is to close the literary education gap for kids in need," Dibble said. "To me, there is really no better way to do that than to put books in kids' hands."

• She said Parton's Imagination Library, which the late musician founded in 1995, "does that in such a brilliant way" by sending books directly to kids.
• "They are so excited to get mail," Dibble said.

What's next: The King County Council plans to pass a proclamation on Tuesday declaring Friday "Dolly Parton 9 to 5 Day" in honor of Parton's contributions, including her support of children's literacy, according to a press release.