Between Dolly Parton’s death, Aug. 25-Sept. 9, the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles issued 259 Dolly Parton specialty license plates, which partly fund the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Ohio.
Prior to Parton’s death, the yearly total of Dolly Parton license plates purchased in 2026 was 533, according to statistics from the Ohio BMV. Athens County has 22 actively registered Dolly Parton license plates, according to Sept. 9 data from the Ohio BMV.
Ohio is the second state to introduce Dolly Parton license plates, after Parton’s home state of Tennessee. The license plates cost an annual fee of $35, $25 of which is given to the Imagination Library and designated for the county where the license plate is registered.
The Imagination Library, established in 1995, is a book gifting program developed by Dolly Parton that delivers a free book to children from birth to five years old every month. Athens County began its Imagination Library program in 2020.
The Athens chapter was formed in partnership with the Athens County Public Libraries as the local affiliate to register families and give out books, and the Athens County Foundation, as the nonprofit, handles donations and costs.
It costs about $35 to sponsor one child for an entire year in the program, according to Taryn Lentes, the youth services coordinator for Athens County Public Libraries and the library’s representative on the Imagination Library’s steering committee.
“So, $175 pays for a child to go through the full five years that they are eligible, which is, we think, pretty amazing,” Lentes said. “That a relatively small amount that an individual could donate could make a big impact.”
Eleni Zulia, the director of programs and engagement at the Athens County Foundation, discussed the fundraising aspect of the Athens Imagination Library Program.
“Since we opened the fund in 2020, there's been over ($)82,000 that's been given to the Imagination Library Fund from donors … to pay for the Imagination Library,” Zulia said.
Ohio’s Imagination Library program has been statewide since 2019. Fran DeWine, the first lady of Ohio, advocated for the development of the program across all of Ohio. She introduced Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio with the help of The Dollywood Foundation. The Ohio General Assembly funds 50% of the cost for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio.
The cost per book that a county’s local program partner pays, after the aid from both the Dollywood Foundation and the State of Ohio, is $1.30, according to Zorger.
Since August 2019, over 28 million books have been sent to Ohio children, and over 1 million children have participated in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, according to Zorger.
Chad Springer, superintendent of the Athens City School District, discussed how the Imagination Library, combined with the state’s Science of Reading initiative, is impacting Ohioans.
“We've seen an increase across the state in access to students getting books through this program, combined with the state's push on the Science of Reading in order to increase literacy rates across the state … we're going to see a long-term benefit to this,” Springer said.
Statewide, 65% of all eligible children are registered for the Imagination Library. In Athens County, 1,839 children, 70% of the eligible population, will receive a book this month, according to data from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio.
Springer spoke about the benefits of the Imagination Library.
“This is holistic, of course, but we do see more students getting engaged in reading, especially at younger levels,” Springer said. “And combined with the efforts of Athens City Libraries, we've seen just overall benefit to students engaged in reading through our own efforts and through this collaboration.”
Colin Zorger, the director of advocacy for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio, shared the support they have received following Parton’s passing.
“We've received an outpouring of support,” Zorger said. “We're very grateful for that through donations, but also people are buying (Dolly Parton) license plates in Ohio.”
Children in the Imagination Library program are four times more likely to have stronger emerging literacy skills, including vocabulary and phonological awareness, than children not in the program, according to a study conducted by an Australian researcher.
Lentes shares the impact of Parton’s death on the Athens Public Library and its community.
“It’s horrible losing Dolly … but the fact that people have taken that loss and turned it into wanting to help kids read through her program is just really amazing,” Lentes said.
Zorger and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio want to continue enrolling children into the program and provide books to every child they can. According to Zorger, parents or caregivers can even sign their newborns up for the program in the hospital by checking a box on the birth certificate paperwork.
“We're really looking forward to the future and continuing to carry on Dolly's legacy and vision,” Zorger said.
