I have always loved reading, discovering new worlds and picturing different lifetimes. There are numerous photos of me looking at books or being read to by my parents. I still enjoy reading to this day, but that love wouldn’t be possible without access to so many books.

I’m incredibly grateful to live in a community with an amazing public library. I can check out so many different books, activities, gadgets and more. Having access to books helps increase literacy which is crucial for succeeding in school, and I have benefited from this.

But across Indiana, there are so many cities that don’t have great public libraries. Access to books can be difficult, especially if families don’t want to or can’t afford to spend money on them. 

This is why programs like Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library are critical. The Imagination Library is a program that allows kids to have access to books for free. From birth to the age of five, the Imagination Library mails an age-appropriate book to their address each month, at no cost to the family.

To me, the Imagination Library seems like a great program, especially considering education and literacy struggles here in Indiana. Right now, Indiana has a goal of having 95% of third graders pass the IREAD literacy test by 2027. Currently, only 81% are passing. 

Of course, this program isn’t completely free. Up until recently, Indiana was covering 50% of the cost, with local libraries and communities paying the other half. The split made having this program feasible for counties across the state. Now, nearly every county in Indiana has an Imagination Library presence where 125,000 Indiana children receive a book each month. 

When Gov. Mike Braun announced he discontinued the funding for Imagination Library in the Indiana budget proposal, I was horrified. Of course, I was not alone in this. After pushback from many different groups, it was announced that Gov. Braun’s wife, Maureen Braun, will be in charge of finding private funding sources to replace the funding that was cut from the state budget. 

But this is not good enough. If literacy through the IREAD test is such a big priority, the state’s refusal to pay for 50% of the program makes no sense whatsoever. Indiana, currently ranked #25 in education nationally, would benefit from an early reading program. 

While the Imagination Library program is, as a whole, expensive, Dolly Parton has negotiated book and shipping costs down to $2.10 per child per month. State support of this program is not only possible, it is necessary to further reading and education in Indiana.

While Braun may be able to find private funding sources, it is likely to be a long and difficult process. These sources would collectively have to pay $6 million to cover 50% of the cost. As all this is getting organized, counties are left wondering whether or not they will be able to continue to support this program. For many counties, it isn’t possible to have the Imagination Library without that crucial 50% funding from the state.

Across Indiana, there are so many people that don’t have easy access to books. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library makes these books accessible, fostering early literacy and a love of reading. By cutting the funding, the state is sending a clear message: “literacy is not a priority.”

The views in this column do not necessarily reflect the views of the HiLite staff. Reach Charlotte Moser at [email protected].