BILL NUMBER: S3154
SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to creating the Dolly
Parton's statewide library system of New York; and to amend the state
finance law, in relation to establishing the imagination library of New
York fund
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section one of the bill adds a new section 249-b to education law which
creates the Dolly Parton's statewide library system of New York, to be
administered by the state librarian.
Section two of the bill creates the Imagination library of New York
fund, moneys of which shall be used to provide age-appropriate books on
a monthly basis, at home, to each child ages 0-5 registered in the
program.
Section three is the effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is the flagship program of the
Dolly-wood Foundation. This book gifting program provides high-quality,
age-appropriate books to children from birth until their fifth birthday,
at no cost to the family. Since the program started in 1995, 2.3 million
children in five countries have received over 200 million books.
Currently, the program partners with local 501(c) (3)s, where the Foun-
dation covers the administrative costs and provides centralized publish-
ing and distribution networks, and the local partners coordinate adver-
tising the program, and managing sign ups. Children then receive a book
every month until age five.
This bill builds off of the great success of the Imagination Library, by
creating a statewide Imagination Library program. Managed by the state
librarian, with costs split equally between the state and the Founda-
tion, this program will bring the joys of reading to thousands of chil-
dren in the state.
In the words of Dolly Parton herself: "Our place in all of this is pret-
ty simple. We want to inspire a love of books. Kids will do what they
love to do, and we want to inspire children to love books and reading! I
want the child to feel the magic of a book arriving and the excitement
of opening it up. This love of books will last a lifetime."
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S.8514A
 
FISCAL IMPLICIATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
The cost of the first year of the program is $2.5M.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.