The Napa County Imagination Library

Opening the Door to a Lifetime of Reading:

In the early years of a child’s life a book is a portal to new worlds, a tool for building vital language skills, and a catalyst for lifelong curiosity. Most importantly, early literacy is a key predictor of future academic success. Through a collaboration between the Napa County Office of Education, NCOE Foundation, and First 5 Napa County, the Napa County Imagination Library is delivering the joy of reading directly to the homes of local families.

Napa County Superintendent of Schools Joshua Schultz praised the collaborative effort of the program. “The Napa County Imagination Library is the best of what can happen in a community when schools, non-profit organizations and dedicated volunteers come together to support children.”

Bringing the Magic to Napa County

The Napa County Imagination Library (NCIL) launched on June 18, 2025, with a community celebration at the Napa Preschool Program. Since that day, the organization has been on a mission to foster a love of reading among children from birth up to their fifth birthday by providing them with high-quality, age-appropriate books every single month—completely free of charge to families. Bilingual Spanish/English books are also available. Since its inception, the NCIL has delivered over 15,000 books to young children in Napa County.

The program is designed to remove financial and logistical barriers to book ownership. Every month a carefully selected book arrives in the mail addressed directly to the child. This simple act creates an atmosphere of anticipation and excitement around reading. By the time a participating child reaches kindergarten, they will have built a personal home library of up to 60 books, establishing a strong foundation for literacy before they step into a classroom.

“Through the collective investment from First 5 Napa County, the Napa County Office of Education, and our supporting community partners, we’re making it possible for every young child in Napa County to experience the joy of books and build foundational literacy skills from the very beginning.” said Ashley Walker, Executive Director, First 5 Napa County.

Registering a Napa County child for the NCIL is simple and takes only a few minutes. Families of children under five living in Napa County can visit napaimaginationlibrary.org to sign up online. Once registered the monthly deliveries begin, opening a world of shared stories and bonding time for families.

A Proven Global Model Powered by Local Generosity

The Napa County initiative operates as a local affiliate of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Founded in 1995 by the singer-songwriter, the international book-gifting program was inspired by Dolly’s own father, who never learned to read. What began as a local effort in her hometown in East Tennessee has blossomed into a global phenomenon, having gifted well over 300 million books to children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.

The Dollywood Foundation manages the Imagination Library system, selects the high-quality literature, and secures discounted bulk pricing and shipping rates. However, the program relies on local donors to contribute to the cost of the books and postage for the children in their specific communities.

Julie McClure, NCOE Foundation Board Member, said, “The early success of the Imagination Library underscores a vital truth: when we invest in a child’s early years, we invest in our entire community’s future. The NCOE Foundation is committed to ongoing support of this valuable  program.”

Local donations directly fund the mailing of books to children living in Napa County. Key supporters include The NCOE Foundation, First 5 Napa County, Child Start, Inc., the Napa County Health and Human Services Agency, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Napa, and NCOE Early Learning Services. Together, these organizations ensure that the program remains sustainable and ready to deliver books to every eligible child in the county.

How the Napa County Imagination Library was Born

The arrival of the Imagination Library began with collaborative conversations between the NCOE Foundation, First 5 Napa County and dedicated members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Napa. These organizations recognized a pressing need to expand early childhood literacy resources across the county and saw Dolly Parton’s established framework as the perfect solution.

As the vision began to take shape, dedicated community volunteers stepped forward to turn the idea into reality by pledging their time, energy, and advocacy to share the program’s mission with the wider community. Their grassroots dedication, combined with organizational leadership, culminated in the successful June 2025 launch.

“As a former teacher, I know that having a library of their own creates a love of reading, builds children’s vocabulary, increases their success in school, and helps with social-emotional development,” said NCIL volunteer Dori O’Toole.

Invest in Our Future

The Napa County Imagination Library is more than a book distribution program; it is an investment in the cognitive, emotional, and economic future of our community. By ensuring that every child, regardless of socioeconomic background, has access to books, Napa County is actively closing the early literacy gap and setting its youth up for a brighter tomorrow.