07/01/2025
I talk with Jamie Lima, the state director for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of West Virginia. We meet at Meet-Up 64, and she shares the impact this program has on families across the state. The Imagination Library mails free books to children from birth to age five, helping them build a home library before they even start school. Jamie says the books are professionally selected, age-appropriate, and delivered every month. She says the goal is to improve school readiness, long-term academic outcomes, and even reduce substance use risks later in life.
Jamie tells me the program went statewide in 2020 and now serves about 50,000 children in West Virginia. It originally launched in the state in 2006, so next year marks 20 years. Dolly Parton visited in 2022 to celebrate the expansion, and that visit made a big impression. August 9 was declared Dolly Day in West Virginia, and each year they celebrate with the Dolly Dash 5K in Huntington at Ritter Park. Jamie says the event is a fundraiser but also a lot of fun, with prizes for the best Dolly look-alike, including adult, child, and even pet categories. She calls it putting the fun in fundraiser.
Her day-to-day work is focused on partnerships, fundraising, and outreach. She explains that while many people assume Dolly funds the entire program, the truth is they need local sponsors and community support to keep it going. Jamie says they’re actively looking for sponsors for the Dolly Dash and other events. For anyone who wants to get involved, register for the race, or learn more, she directs them to dollybookswv.com.