How Nationwide Children’s Hospital Became the World’s Largest "Imagination Library” Affiliate – and Why the Program Should Continue to Grow

Just four years after the launch of a well-known free book program in Franklin County, Ohio, Nationwide Children’s Hospital is sending 40,000 books per month to the county’s young children. It’s also sending 7,000 books per month to young children in neighboring Delaware County.

That makes Nationwide Children’s the largest affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in the world – more free books to more kids per month than anywhere else.

It’s an amazing achievement, driven by support from Ohio’s Gov. Mike DeWine, First Lady Fran DeWine, collaboration with local non-profits, and philanthropy. But there’s much more to do, says Allison Riggle, MSW, Ed.D, project manager for Infant and Child Wellness at Nationwide Children’s and coordinator for the hospital’s Imagination Library.

“Some of the children we are struggling to reach are also the children who could benefit most from the program,” she says. “We’re working on some innovative ways to get more books in the hands of more families.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was begun in 1995 by the music star in her home state of Tennessee, and for nearly 30 years has helped distribute free monthly books to children from birth to 5 years of age around the world. In 2020, the program celebrated delivering its 150 millionth book.

That’s the same year that the governor and Mrs. DeWine began the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library. They secured state-level funding – the state continues to pay half the cost of every book sent – and Mrs. DeWine went county-by-county to promote the Imagination Library, including reading to children at Nationwide Children’s. She continues to travel and promote the program.

“The DeWines are a significant reason why we have become the largest Imagination Library affiliate in the world,” says Dr. Riggle. “They made a personal commitment to ensuring Ohio’s children could benefit, and as the most populous county in Ohio, we have more children benefitting than anywhere else.”

Community partners including the Columbus Metropolitan Library and other library systems, the YMCA of Central Ohio, Columbus City Schools and many more have helped sign children up in Franklin County. Still, though, only about half of the county’s children who could be receiving books are actually receiving them, says Dr. Riggle.

There are a number of reasons. Some families don’t have a stable mailing address. Franklin County has a large new American population, and most Imagination Library materials are only in English. Some people just may not know about the Imagination Library.

Nationwide Children’s is working on solutions to those obstacles. One of the most innovative is the effort to integrate Imagination Library sign-ups into patient visits.

For decades, Nationwide Children’s has operated a “Reach Out and Read” initiative, an evidence-based approach to support literacy that is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Reach Out and Read trains primary care providers to “prescribe” age-appropriate books to families during well-child checks. Literacy is part of a child’s overall well-being, and Nationwide Children’s Reach Out and Read program has provided nearly 2 million books to families since 1998.

Dr. Riggle and other team members have worked to integrate the Imagination Library sign-ups into well-child visits at 14 Nationwide Children’s Primary Care sites.

Funding from L Brands Foundation and other philanthropic partners helped make the initial launch of Nationwide Children’s Imagination Library program possible. But with more books sent every month comes additional cost, and Nationwide Children’s is continuing to look for funders of this important initiative.   

“We’re proud of what we have done,” says Dr. Riggle. “We also know there is more to do.”     

To learn more, or to sign your own child up for Imagination Library, visit Ohio’s Imagination Library or the Nationwide Children’s affiliate program.