Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County

09/25/2026

Today is the day! 9/25 is Give Like Dolly Day (working 9 to 5, get it? 😉)

Honor Dolly's legacy and help our local Dolly Parton Imagination Library reach even more children and families. Make a special gift to the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County!

Every gift helps us continue building a community where children can grow up surrounded by the joy of books and reading.

This is what it looks like to .



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09/23/2026

Book Buddies, a United Way of CNY program, provides volunteers an opportunity to spend 1-hour a week reading with a student in the Syracuse City School District

09/23/2026

Right here in Onondaga County, 16,000 children receive a free book every month through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

On 9/25, Give Like Dolly Day, you can help us reach even more children and families in Onondaga County. Every gift to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, through the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County, helps us continue building a community where children can grow up surrounded by the joy of books and reading.

Behind every book is a community of people who believe in the power of giving -- donors, volunteers, supporters and local partners who help make this program possible including: Early Childhood Alliance, United Way of Central New York, Child Care Solutions, Central New York Community Foundation, Onondaga County Public Libraries, and Onondaga County.

Help us make an even bigger impact for the children in Central New York.



https://www.epledge.unitedway-cny.org/epledge/comm/SinglePageRegPledge.jsp?EnvelopeKeyHex=224E4121583333466C267043422B40252A5A4B664E5432736330283F67407E3E&Campaign=1286111&DA=1454982&SA=3955721

Together we can achieve 100% Literacy through 100% Community Engagement!

09/21/2026

Le Moyne College hosted an Imagination Library celebration Saturday to mark a milestone: Dolly Parton’s organization has sent 2 million books to kids in Onondaga County. 📚 💕

09/21/2026

What an incredible day! 🎉📚

THANK YOU to all of the families, community partners, volunteers, and friends who joined us for the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County’s Imagination Celebration!

Together, we celebrated a major milestone for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Onondaga County — 2 MILLION books gifted to children and families in our community! ❤️📖

It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces, children enjoying books and activities, and families coming together to celebrate the joy of reading.

We are so grateful to everyone who helped make this special day such a success. Thank you for celebrating this remarkable milestone with us and for continuing to support literacy in our community!

09/17/2026

📚 Join the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County for our Imagination Celebration!

Help us celebrate an incredible milestone—2 million books gifted to children in our community through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library!

📅 Saturday, September 19
⏰ 10:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m.
📍 Le Moyne College, James Commons Campus Center

Bring the entire family for a free day celebrating books, imagination, and the joy of reading. We hope to see you there!

08/26/2026

08/25/2026

With Sorrow and Gratitude, We Remember Dolly Parton

With profound sorrow—and equally profound gratitude—the Literacy Coalition of Onondaga County joins people around the world in mourning the passing of Dolly Parton. Her music brought joy to generations, but her kindness, generosity, and unwavering belief in the power of dreams changed lives far beyond the stage.

Among Dolly’s most remarkable legacies is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which she founded in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read or write. What began in her home county in Tennessee grew into an extraordinary movement that placed books, hope, and possibility into the homes of children around the world.

Onondaga County has been deeply honored to be part of the Imagination Library family for the past 16 years. Since 2010, our local program has grown to serve more than 16,000 children each month, delivering a free, age-appropriate book directly to their homes.

We will forever treasure Dolly’s recent acknowledgment of our community as we celebrated the remarkable milestone of gifting our two millionth book through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Dolly’s legacy will live on in every song she shared, every life she brightened, every child who discovers the joy of reading, and every family brought closer together by a book.

Rest well, Dolly. Thank you for the music, the laughter, the generosity, and the millions of stories you helped begin. You made a remarkable and lasting impression on our community, our country, and the world.

We will always love you.

Together we can achieve 100% Literacy through 100% Community Engagement!

07/30/2026

📚 July Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Book Spotlight – Group 6
This month’s Group 6 book is The Ocean’s Heartbeat by Dame and Dusa.

This engaging story invites children to explore the wonder, rhythm, and life of the ocean. It’s a great book for sparking curiosity about nature, encouraging imagination, and starting conversations about the world around us.

Reading to your child every day, even for just a few minutes, helps build vocabulary, strengthen comprehension and listening skills, support brain development, and create meaningful moments of connection before your child heads off to kindergarten.

Reading tips for parents and caregivers:
🌊 Talk about what your child notices in the pictures.
🌊 Ask questions like, “What do you think lives in the ocean?” or “What sounds might the ocean make?”
🌊 Encourage your child to describe the colors, animals, and movement they see.
🌊 Connect the story to real-life experiences, like visiting a lake, beach, aquarium, or watching water move.
🌊 After reading, invite your child to draw their own ocean scene or retell the story in their own words.

Every story, every question, and every shared page helps your child grow.
To enroll a child in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Onondaga County, visit onliteracy.org.

07/29/2026

July Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Book Spotlight – Group 5
This month’s Group 5 book is The Outside by Gianna Marino.

This thoughtful and beautifully illustrated story invites children to explore the world around them and notice the wonder of nature, adventure, and discovery. It’s a wonderful book for encouraging curiosity, imagination, and conversations about spending time outside.

Reading to your child every day, even for just a few minutes, helps build vocabulary, strengthen comprehension skills, support brain development, and create meaningful moments of connection with your child.
Reading tips for parents and caregivers:

🌿 Talk about what your child notices in the pictures.
🌿 Ask questions like, “What would you like to explore outside?”
🌿 Connect the story to your own outdoor adventures, like visiting a park, walking through the neighborhood, or playing in the yard.
🌿 Encourage your child to describe what they see, hear, and feel outside.
🌿 After reading, take a short walk together and look for something from nature to talk about.

Every story, every question, and every outdoor discovery helps your child grow.

To enroll a child in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Onondaga County, visit onliteracy.org.