Registration now open in Somerset County for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

SKOWHEGAN, Maine (WABI) - Hair gleaming with glitter, Dolly attire sported, and TikTok videos rolling—the Skowhegan Free Public Library was decked out Thursday for Sept. 25, a date carrying special significance for the staff.

Known to fans worldwide as “9 to 5 Day” after Dolly Parton’s hit single, the date officially marked the opening of registration for the country icon’s Imagination Library across Somerset County.

“We’re celebrating Dolly Day today, so we’re all kind of dressed up in our Dolly best for 9 to 5,” Skowhegan Free Public Library Director Angie Herrick said. “It’s given us a little energy and some joy knowing that this is coming, and that we’ve been a little piece in bringing it here.”

The work to launch began last month when the library announced the program was coming to the region thanks to a major contribution from an anonymous donor. Staff signed the final paperwork just one day before Parton’s death.

When operational logistics lined up to launch registrations this week, library officials felt opening the portal on Sept. 25 was meant to be.

“It’s just so serendipitous. It’s like this was all meant to line up just this way,” Herrick said. “It sprinkles a little bit of extra sparkle on everything. It’s like Dolly just put her little stamp of approval on this whole situation.”

Preparing for the launch required a swift, countywide push. Herrick assembled a committee that includes local librarians, representatives from Redington-Fairview General Hospital’s pediatric offices, Skowhegan Family Medicine and more.

Community support followed almost immediately, with donations coming in from well beyond county borders.

“I got a card in the mail saying, ‘Congratulations for getting this to your community. Here’s $31 so I can sponsor a child for a year,’” Herrick said. “I did not know this woman—she was like from Portland or something. People are just as excited as we are.”

Any child from birth to age 5 living within Somerset County is eligible to receive a free, age-appropriate book delivered directly to their home every month. Library staff verify addresses to confirm residency within county lines.

Families can register online by visiting imaginationlibrary.com and selecting the “Check Availability” tab to enter their location information. Those unable to register online can call or visit the Skowhegan Free Public Library, where staff can sign children up over the phone or in person.

Children enrolled during September are scheduled to receive their first welcome book in November.