Children ages 0 to 5 in Zionsville and Whitestown can now have books mailed directly to their home thanks to a new program through Hussey-Mayfield Memorial Public Library.
HMMPL launched the Dolly Parton Imagination Library last month. The monthly program mails books to children until they reach kindergarten.
“It’s a nice partnership to have, and a wonderful opportunity for kids to get books in their homes,” HMMPL Executive Director Kristin Shelley said.
The books are meant to help prepare children for kindergarten. The program is free for families and available to any child who lives in the library’s service area.
““These books will help them build early literacy skills,” Shelley said.
Shelley said Zionsville and Whitestown are the last two ZIP codes in the state to join the Imagination Library.
“We wanted to make sure we had the funding in place,” Shelley said.
Cost is $26 per child. The library covers half the amount, while the Indiana State Library, which administers the program, provides the other half.
The Zionsville Rotary and Century clubs and CenterPoint Energy donated funds to the library for the program.
The Imagination Library was founded in 1995 to inspire kids to read and give them access to books. More than 250 million free books have been given since its creation.
Funding for the state program was left out of the 2025 budget, which sparked criticism of Gov. Mike Braun and the state legislature. Braun tasked his wife, Maureen Braun, with securing philanthropic partners to fund the project.
First lady Braun read to children at the Zionsville branch April 13, part of the Imagination Library’s kick off for HMMPL’s. She read “The Little Engine That Could,” which is the first book a child receives when they sign up for the program.
Nearly 600 children had signed up for the program as of April 23. Shelley said the Imagination Library is a good addition to the library’s 1,000 books read before kindergarten initiative.
“We want people to sign up,” she said.
To register, visit imaginationlibrary.com/.
