The Allen County Public Library Foundation is inviting the community to celebrate the first-ever “Give Like Dolly Day” on September 25, 2026.
Allen County Public Library news release:
ACPL Joins in “Give Like Dolly” Celebrations on September 25, Encouraging the Community to Make a Difference in a Child’s Life
Fort Wayne, Indiana (September 22, 2026) – The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) Foundation is inviting the community to celebrate the first-ever “Give Like Dolly Day” on September 25, a global day dedicated to supporting local Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Programs. The date, 9/25, is a nod to Parton’s famous song and film “9 to 5” and honors Dolly’s extraordinary legacy of inspiring children to dream big and develop a lifelong love of reading. As Dolly often said, “If you can read, you can do anything, dream anything and be anything.”
At the heart of “Give Like Dolly Day” are the thousands of local Imagination Library partners around the world who help carry Dolly’s mission forward in their own communities. In Allen County, the ACPL Foundation fills that role and has served more than 12,000 children since the program’s launch in late 2024.
“Dolly has always said that local partners are the true heroes of the Imagination Library,” said ACPL Executive Director Susan P. Baier. “This day is our chance to celebrate that partnership, thank our community for its support, and make sure every child in Allen County has access to the magic of books.”
Along with celebrating all things Dolly, the ACPL Foundation would also like to thank the many donors who have given to the Imagination Library, including most recently the Surack Family Foundation. The group’s founders, local entrepreneurs and philanthropists Chuck and Lisa Surack, committed a $10,000 gift in support of ACPL’s Give Like Dolly Day. The Suracks were among the original champions of Imagination Library in Allen County, making a significant contribution previously to the ACPL Foundation to help the program launch in October 2024.
Chuck Surack is a strong supporter of early literacy, but also a Dolly fan who had the opportunity to cross paths with her several times in the music industry.
“I can’t imagine anything more important than reading. Through third grade, children are learning to read; after third grade, students read to learn,” said Surack. “It’s critically important to me that Allen County children enter kindergarten ready to learn how to read so they are set for success in school and life. We can all learn from Dolly’s example and today, I was happy to make this gift to the Imagination Library. I believe it will positively impact the community I love for generations to come.”
Several local entities have also signed on to mark the occasion. The Allen County Commissioners will read a special proclamation officially recognizing September 25 as “Give Like Dolly Day in Allen County” during their legislative session on 9/25. City of Fort Wayne Mayor Sharon Tucker has also shared a letter of support for the day.
At the ACPL, special Dolly-themed Storytimes will happen at both the Main Library (10 a.m.) and the Georgetown Branch (10:15 a.m.). There are also Dolly-themed displays and/or activities at the Main Library and the Aboite, Dupont, Georgetown, Grabill, Hessen Cassel, Little Turtle, New Haven, Pontiac, Tecumseh, and Woodburn branches.
The Allen County War Memorial Coliseum will display Dolly Day messages on its marquee sign and, as the day winds down, Purdue Fort Wayne’s Parker Cole Crossing bridge over Coliseum Blvd. will be lit Dolly’s signature color – bright pink- in her honor.
The entire Allen County community is invited to celebrate. Suggested celebrations include:
- Make a donation. $31 covers a full year of free books for one local child through the Imagination Library, but gifts of any size can be made at www.acpl.info/imaginationlibrary.
- Register a child for the Imagination Library. Families with young children can sign up for the free program, which mails a new, age-appropriate book to enrolled children every month from birth until their fifth birthday.
- Get a library card. Stop by any Allen County Public Library location and get a library card for every member of the family, even the littles. Then explore library displays and check out a stack of books to take home.
- Spread the word. ACPL is encouraging local businesses to display a Give Like Dolly Day message on their marquee signs to help raise visibility across the community.
- Make it viral. Individuals and businesses are encouraged to share messages on their social media pages with #GiveLikeDolly. Images available at acpl.info/GiveLikeDolly.
“For Dolly, giving was always personal and from her heart,” said Jeff Conyers, President of The Dollywood Foundation. “She believed deeply in helping people, especially children, and she always felt if you are in a position to help, you should help. Give Like Dolly Day is an opportunity for people everywhere to not only support their local Imagination Library Partners but also other local nonprofits helping children.”
Individuals and organizations interested in supporting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Allen County can make a donation at www.acpl.info/imaginationlibrary.
About the Allen County Public Library
The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) has fostered lifelong learning and discovery in northeast Indiana for more than 135 years. The ACPL consists of fourteen branches throughout Allen County, serving more than one million visitors per year. The ACPL’s collection includes more than 3.9 million items, with a circulation total of 4.6 million items borrowed annually. It also houses The Genealogy Center, the nation’s largest public genealogy research center, and The Rolland Center for Lincoln Research, consisting of more than 30,000 artifacts related to President Abraham Lincoln.About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Launched in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is the world’s leading early childhood book-gifting program and the flagship initiative of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Since its founding, the program has gifted more than 300 million free books to children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.Each month, the Imagination Library mails over 3 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes. Every enrolled child receives one book per month from birth to age five, at no cost to families.
Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly created the Imagination Library in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee, to inspire a love of reading from the earliest years. In true Dolly fashion, she soon shared that dream with other communities that wanted to give their children the same opportunity to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More.
The Imagination Library’s impact has been widely studied, with research consistently showing positive effects on early childhood development, kindergarten readiness, and family reading habits.
For more information, visit imaginationlibrary.com.
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