Kids younger than 5 can get a free book in the mail every month from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. It doesn’t cost the parents anything. So, who pays for these high-quality books? Does the program really work?

Hilly Alexander, a member of the Rotary Club of Wilsonville, will speak on the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program and its significant growth over the years. As of July 2024, the Imagination Library has gifted over 247 million books worldwide, with more than 3 million books sent out each month to children under 5. The program operates in five countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland. Initially introduced to Wilsonville by the Kiwanis Club, the local program is now managed by the Wilsonville Public Library Foundation and supported by the Wilsonville Rotary Foundation.

Hilly will share insights into how this program has impacted the Wilsonville community and continues to inspire a love of reading among children globally.

Official bio:

Hilly Alexander has enjoyed a long career in software development and information technology, including tech support, computer programming, testing, software quality assurance, and project management. While still working full time, Hilly began volunteering at the Wilsonville Public Library, which eventually turned into a second career. Some highlights of that second career include serving two terms on the Wilsonville Public Library Board and leading the campaign for the Clackamas County Library District in Wilsonville in 2008. Hilly currently serves on the Wilsonville Public Library Foundation Board of Directors and is the Executive Director of the Wilsonville Imagination Library, a local partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which she considers her best job ever. She still loves putting books back on the shelf and collecting items that library patrons have put on hold.