Little Rock, AR – Contributed – Arkansas Imagination Library (ARIL) has launched its inaugural Annual Sponsorship Program, and Subaru of Little Rock has stepped forward as the program’s first and Presenting Sponsor with a $65,326 leadership investment to expand early literacy access in Craighead and Faulkner counties. 

Subaru of Little Rock’s commitment exceeds the $25,000 minimum for the Presenting Sponsor level and will directly support enrollment growth and book costs in two counties: 

• $27,600 to support Craighead County: growing enrollment from approximately 2,400 to 3,000 children, or 40% of the county’s 0–5 population, by November 2026. This funding will cover 100% of book costs from December 2025 through May 2026 and 50% of book costs from June 2026 through November 2026.
• $37,726 to support Faulkner County: growing enrollment from 4,110 to 4,819 children, or 65% of the county’s 0–5 population, by November 2026. This funding will cover 50% of book costs from December 2025 through November 2026.

Together, this investment will help deliver tens of thousands of high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to young children’s homes, strengthening kindergarten readiness and early literacy outcomes in both counties.

Arkansas Imagination Library’s mission is to increase early literacy and school readiness in Arkansas by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. As the statewide partner, ARIL currently mails more than 81,000 books each month to children from birth to age five, serving 45% of Arkansas’s youngest learners across all 75 counties.

“Subaru of Little Rock’s extraordinary investment demonstrates what corporate leadership looks like in action,” said Dr. Charlotte Parham, Executive Director for Arkansas Imagination Library. “Their support will help hundreds of additional children build home libraries, strengthen family bonds through reading, and enter kindergarten prepared to succeed.”

Thanks to a 50% match from the Arkansas Department of Education, every private dollar invested in Arkansas Imagination Library doubles in impact.

The newly launched Annual Sponsorship Program provides businesses, foundations, and individuals an opportunity to invest in statewide or county-specific literacy initiatives year-round. With the Presenting Sponsor level secured, ARIL invites additional corporate and community partners to join at Champion, Advocate, Supporter, and Friend levels.

As enrollment continues to grow statewide, private investment remains essential to sustaining and expanding access for every eligible child in Arkansas.

To learn more about the Arkansas Imagination Library Annual Sponsorship Program, contact Sara Drew at sara@arimaginationlibrary.org. 

About Arkansas Imagination Library

Arkansas Imagination Library is a statewide 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that partners with The Dollywood Foundation and 50+ local program partners in all 75 counties in Arkansas to increase childhood literacy and promote school readiness.

All eligible children in Arkansas (ages 0 to 5) can register for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at no cost to families. Each child enrolled in the Imagination Library receives one book per month in the mail until the child’s 5th birthday.

To enroll a child and find a list of Local Program Partners, visit arkansasimaginationlibrary.org.

About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 300 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.

The Imagination Library mails more than 3.7 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes every month. One in every 6 children under the age of five in the United States receives Imagination Library books.

Dolly Parton envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More. The program’s impact has been widely researched, and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.