More than 32,000 children statewide are registered for the program, which mails free books to children from birth to age 5.

Elaine Stachera Simon, New Mexico State University

LAS CRUCES - New Mexico State University 2000 graduate Nancy Stephens, state director for Imagination Library of New Mexico and executive director of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – Grant County, has always believed books are powerful connectors, offering comfort, consistency and possibility. That belief was reinforced when she heard about a preschooler whose home life suddenly changed. In the midst of the transition, the child’s biggest worry was simple: Would she still receive her Dolly books?

Founded in Tennessee in 1995 by country music legend Dolly Parton, the international nonprofit Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library gifts free, high-quality books to children from birth to age 5, regardless of family income. 

In 2010, Loren and Barbara Nelson, now directors emeriti, started the first Imagination Library affiliate in New Mexico in Grant County, initially providing books to eight children in Bayard. Three years later, they were delivering books to 80% of children in the county younger than 5. 

Stephens, who also is a Grant County commissioner, became the Grant County affiliate’s executive director in 2016. 

“People are sometimes skeptical about the books being free,” Stephens said, “but there really are no strings. Occasionally, we are asked why we don’t provide tablets instead. With a tablet, parental involvement is less; you don’t have the back-and-forth. Imagination Library’s benefits extend far beyond reading proficiency. When you read to babies, toddlers or preschoolers, they naturally want to be in your lap, which creates a warm, personal connection.”

NMSU 2002 and 2011 graduate Ryal McMurry agrees. An author and kindergarten teacher at Pecos Cyber Academy, McMurry has been president of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Otero County since 2011. ILOC’s board also includes several Aggies: Tracie Eitniear ’03 ’04 ’06; Patricia Lyman ’80; and McMurry’s mom, Cheeta McMurry ’72.

“Imagination Library brings so much value beyond reading. It’s also about the child-parent relationship and self-esteem, for both the children and adults. In fact, when kids get Imagination Library books, they’re not the only ones who end up reading more,” McMurry said. “Plus, for a little kid, getting mail is a big deal. That helps make books exciting.” 

McMurry and Stephens both emphasize that ensuring continuity in the program is key.

“Not only do the children expect it, but it becomes a symbol that someone cares, and that’s powerful,” Stephens said.  

“Holloman Air Force Base has a mobile population, and we’ve made a commitment to the military kids,” McMurry said. “If they move somewhere with no Imagination Library program, we’ll continue to provide books. We want to continue that sense of belonging.”

Today, 32,361 children statewide are registered and nearly two million books have been mailed through New Mexico Imagination Library affiliates. Data shows that, in homes receiving Imagination Library books, daily reading with children has nearly doubled. 

In May 2025, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order establishing the statewide Imagination Library, joining 20 other states that offer statewide programs. The executive order provides $1 million in additional funding for fiscal year 2026, increasing by 30,000 the number of New Mexico children who will receive their very own Dolly books.

“There’s magic in this program. It has the potential to change New Mexico and change the world. As Dolly said, if you can read, you can teach yourself to do anything,” McMurry said.   

To find a local Imagination Library affiliate, visit nmsu.link/Dollybooks.

A version of this story was published in the spring 2026 issue of Panorama. For more stories, visit https://panorama.nmsu.edu.

Elaine Stachera Simon writes for NMSU Foundation Marketing Communications. She can be reached at 575-646-2853 or by email at elaine.simon@nmsufoundation.org.