BANGOR, Maine — The forces of celebrity and government collided Wednesday on the third floor of the Bangor Public Library, where Gov. Janet Mills announced the statewide expansion of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a nonprofit providing free books for kids from birth through five years old, delivered by mail.
Currently, 4,500 children in the state are enrolled in Parton’s program. Mills hopes that number will increase to roughly 63,000.
“We need every child to learn to read at the earliest age … learn to enjoy books for a variety of reasons,” Mills said Wednesday.
After the announcement, Mills read to a group of children and posed next to a cutout of Parton.
The effort to improve literacy among young children comes at a time when reading scores have fallen across the state.
For the first time in at least two decades, the average fourth-grade reading score in 2022 in Maine was below the national average, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.
Part of the new goal of expanding free books for children is to nurture a relationship with reading early on, which could later translate to educational success.
“The interactions that happen are special and important,” Bangor librarian Michele Brosseau said. "It's about forming that lifelong love of reading.”
Mills also acknowledged the crucial role parents should play in educating their children.
"Frankly, this is the parents reading to the kids, starting at 1 month old.”
Dolly Parton addressed the expansion of her organization's book program in Maine through a video message.
“Happy reading! And remember, Maine: I will always love you," Parton said, thanking Mills for her support.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misspelled Michele Brosseau's name.