DOLLY PARTON lives on at the Woodford County Library and in hundreds of homes in Woodford County thanks to the local affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. From left: Kathy Hogg, head of the local affiliate, “Dolly” and Woodford County Library Executive Director Stacy Thurman. (Photo by Scott White)
By Scott White
Community Liaison
Report for America corps member
The loss of Dolly Parton on Aug. 25, 2026, has been acutely felt worldwide, no less so here in Woodford County. Aside from her substantial gifts and impact as an entertainer across a myriad of formats – music, film, writing – it was her engaged and laser-focused giving that cements her legacy.
Of her many charitable acts, the Dollywood Foundation, which she created as her philanthropic vehicle, said the thing she was most proud of in her life was the creation of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
Woodford County has its own Imagination Library in partnership with the Dollywood Foundation as an affiliate member, and Kathy Hogg, who directs the countywide program, said it will live on and continue to sign up new children and ensure Woodford County children keep getting their books.
Founded in 1995 in Parton’s home county, Sevier County, Tennessee, the Imagination Library provides free books, every month, to children from birth to 5 years of age, unconditionally—you can be as wealthy as a sheikh or as poor as a church mouse and still receive the free books. Parton recognized the value of inspiring a love of reading in children at the earliest age, and set about making a significant impact in early childhood education.
“I think that is one of the great things about its beauty is it puts everyone on a level playing field,” Hogg said about the Imagination Library.
And the impact here in Woodford County has been impressive. Since 2022, 30,337 books have been mailed to 1,452 children, with the current enrollment at 760 kids.
The local Woodford County affiliate pays $1.20 per book, the state pays the same amount, and the Dollywood Foundation picks up the balance, and has announced its intention to continue to do so.
The state’s portion of this payment was cut from the budget during the last legislative session, but the outcry was so loud that it was restored, given many of the counties served in Kentucky could not continue without the state funding.
“I spent 25 years as an educator here, and 16 of those as director of the (Woodford County Public School) preschool program,” Hogg said. “We know that the foundations of reading and learning are really set at home in the early years of a child’s life. Books are a critical element of that, and the Imagination Library gives any parent, regardless of their situation, the tools they need to get their children on a good foundation.”
Hogg continued, “We know from our preschool home visits that in some homes there are very few books of any kind, and the correlation between brain development and reading with a loved one is so important for learning as the child grows.”
The Woodford County Library is also a key part of the program’s success. Not only does the library serve as the group’s fiscal agent, but it is also the governmental entity attached to the affiliate.
“A lot of counties are taking on more of the responsibility . . . so, we are working with Kathy (Hogg) on a continuity plan so this continues and we can serve children and families in this way,” said Stacy Thurman, executive director of the Woodford County Library.
The Woodford affiliate also collaborates with the Woodford County Early Childhood Council and Woodford County Public Schools.
To register a child from birth up to their 5th birthday, go to imaginationlibrary.com and click
on “Check Availability” on the top menu. Parents/guardians can then put in their zip code and be
guided to the correct program. Every county in Kentucky has an Imagination Library
program.
If people want to donate to Imagination Library, go to this link: https://donate.imaginationlibrary.com. The form also allows the person donating to designate it to Woodford County – just choose KYWOODFORDCO. Folks can also drop a check off at the help desk of the Woodford County Library, made payable, in any amount, to “DPIL/Woodford County.”
“If you loved Dolly, and didn’t we all, this program was her. This was the thing that she said she was the most proud of in her entire life. Her entire career. I mean, wow!” Hogg said. “So, a donation to the Woodford Imagination Library, or signing a child up, is a great way to honor her.”