Cooney Marks 100,000th Imagination Library Book in Rochester, Announces Major State Funding Push
- Staff Report
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ROCHESTER, N.Y. — State Sen. Jeremy Cooney delivered the 100,000th book distributed through the Rochester chapter of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library on Tuesday, using the milestone to announce $1 million in statewide funding for the early literacy program — and to launch an effort to secure $7 million next year.
Cooney, joined by Rochester City School District Superintendent Eric Jay Rosser and Rochester Imagination Library founder Dr. Matt Present, visited a preschool class at Flower City School No. 54 to mark the occasion. The senator handed a young student the 100,000th free book mailed to a Rochester-area child since the program began locally.
“There is a real literacy crisis in our community and across New York,” Cooney said. “We can’t expect our youth to succeed in school unless we expose them early to the joy of reading. While we celebrate the progress we’ve made to expand this vital program, we know there’s more work ahead.”
Cooney said the cause is personal — his mother was an English teacher — and pledged to make expanded early literacy funding one of his top priorities when the legislative session begins in January.
The senator secured $500,000 for the Imagination Library in the current state budget and increased that allocation to $1 million for FY 2026. As part of the funding, the Rochester chapter will receive a $49,000 grant to support its local enrollment and distribution efforts.
The push comes as local literacy rates lag well behind state averages. An analysis by The Education Trust–New York found that fewer than 40% of Monroe County students in grades 3–8 read proficiently, with even lower rates among students with disabilities, low-income students and Black and Latino students. In the Rochester City School District, only 8% of students in grades K–8 met grade-level reading benchmarks in 2022.
Present said reaching 100,000 books underscores what community investment can achieve.
“This milestone represents an informed act of faith in the potential of our community’s youngest learners,” he said. “There’s no more precious resource or better investment than a young child’s rapidly developing brain, and it’s about time we start supporting this crucial phase.”
Superintendent Rosser praised the program’s impact in homes across Rochester.
“Early literacy is the foundation for every child’s success,” Rosser said. “Thanks to Senator Cooney’s advocacy, more children will have the opportunity to discover the joy of reading and unlock their full potential from an early age.”
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails a free, age-appropriate book every month to enrolled children from birth to age 5. The program, launched in 1995 by The Dollywood Foundation, now distributes over 2.9 million books monthly across the United States and internationally. More than 200 million books have been gifted since its inception.
Lauren Wirt, regional director for The Dollywood Foundation, said New York’s investment will strengthen early learning statewide.
“The Imagination Library is an affordable, scalable program that gives all children equal access to books,” Wirt said. “This early investment supports families, boosts learning outcomes, and strengthens communities overall — a win-win.”
United Way of Greater Rochester and the Finger Lakes President and CEO Jaime Saunders said expanding the program aligns with the organization’s longstanding commitment to early childhood success.
“When we invest in early literacy, we invest in our children’s future, family connections and the strength of our communities,” she said.
Families can enroll in the Rochester Imagination Library at RochesterImaginationLibrary.org.
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