FORT WAYNE, Ind. (ADAMS) – Following the death of country music icon and philanthropist Dolly Parton on August 25, 2026, Allen County community members and organizations continue to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Allen County through gifts that help ensure local children receive free, age-appropriate books every month from birth until age 5.
In the week following Parton’s passing, ACPL representatives say that more than 500 new children registered for the program, underscoring the growing demand for participation in the program.
The following was released:
In Allen County, the Imagination Library is supported through a combination of community donations and matching state funds. The local affiliate, administered through the Allen County Public Library Foundation, contributes approximately $10,200 each month to fund the program. That amount is matched by the State of Indiana, helping extend the reach of Imagination Library to more children throughout the county.
In addition to an influx of new registrations, the program has also experienced an increase in donations in Parton’s memory. Following her death, the program received more than $15,000 in community donations, including the proceeds from a creative fundraiser organized independently by local artist Grace Yencer, who raised $5,656 by selling 202 prints of an original Dolly Parton-themed artwork.
Yencer created the artwork, titled “Clear Blue Morning,” as a personal tribute to Parton. Inspired by Parton’s song “Light of a Clear Blue Morning,” the piece reflects themes of resilience, change and looking toward a brighter future. Yencer decided to turn the artwork into prints and donate the profits to the local Imagination Library program.
“I’ve loved her music for as long as I can remember, and this artwork was my small attempt to honor her,” Yencer said. “When I realized I could turn the piece into prints and use the profits to support my local Imagination Library, it just felt like the right thing to do.”
Yencer priced the prints at $31 — the approximate cost of providing one child with a full year of Imagination Library books — and 202 people purchased prints within just a few days.
“We are incredibly thankful to Grace for taking something she created out of her love and admiration for Dolly Parton and turning it into an opportunity to put books in the hands of local children,” said Susan P. Baier, executive director of the Allen County Public Library. “Grace’s fundraiser is a wonderful example of the many creative ways people can support the Imagination Library. Every gift, whether it comes from an individual donor, a community organization or a creative fundraiser like this one, helps us serve more children.”
Since Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launched in Allen County in 2024, nearly 12,000 children have been served through the program. Each enrolled child receives one free, age-appropriate book delivered to their home every month until their fifth birthday.
According to Baier, as enrollment continues to grow, community donations remain a critical part of keeping the program available to local families:
“Our goal is to ensure that the program can sustainably serve every eligible child in Allen County. To do so, we need ongoing financial support from the community.”
Individuals and organizations interested in supporting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Allen County can make a donation HERE
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