‘Imagination’ takes flight at UK Golisano Children’s
LEXINGTON, Ky. (June 5, 2026) — Many healthcare providers tout the power of positive thinking, but are unable to explain it. A simple, four-word phrase packs a powerful punch.
“I think I can.”
It’s a mantra often repeated by the young and old alike, forged in those early formative years by the classic children’s book “The Little Engine That Could.”
The book is so beloved and ubiquitous that it’s the first book received by every child enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Thanks to support from the Kentucky legislature and community partners, every child born at Golisano Children’s at UK can be enrolled in the program and receive a copy of the time-honored story of perseverance and persistence before being discharged. Any pediatric patient admitted to UK Golisano Children’s who resides in a county with an Imagination Library program can also enroll.
“As a children’s hospital, we care for the whole child — not only their physical health, but also their emotional well-being,” said Scottie B. Day, physician-in-chief for UK Golisano Children’s and vice president of children’s health at UK HealthCare. “When families read together, it does more than support a child’s brain development and language growth. These moments help children feel safe and connected, laying the foundation for strong family bonds and healthy relationships.”
Children who enroll in the program receive a new book every month until they’re 5 years old. Since the Imagination Library was founded in 1995, millions of books have been sent to children all over the world. In Kentucky, more than 136,000 children are enrolled — 51% of all Kentucky children under age 5. In Fayette County, 39% of the eligible population is enrolled in the program.
“Giving a child a book is one of the most impactful, cost-effective and joyful investments we can make in our future workforce, our future leaders and the long-term prosperity of our state,” said Libby Suttles, state director of Imagination Library Kentucky. “The program supports parents as their child’s first teachers, especially during the first five years of life, when brain development is most rapid.”
At the program launch event on June 3, Central Kentucky state legislators Sen. Amanda Mays Bledsoe and Rep. Chad Aull took turns reading “The Little Engine That Could” to a group of pediatric patients before touring the Don & Cathy Jacobs Patient Education Center, the distribution site for the hospital’s program.
“There’s something special about a child getting a book in the mail with their name on it,” said Bledsoe. “For many families, those books become part of bedtime routines, conversations and memories that last long after the last page is turned. I’m so happy the General Assembly continued supporting the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, and I’m excited to see this partnership with UK HealthCare connect even more Kentucky families with books from the very start. Sometimes the simplest ideas make the biggest difference, and giving children access to books gives them access to their imagination, and that is something that can take them anywhere.”
“Today is more than just books and story time; we are opening the door to a future where healing and discovery go hand in hand,” said Aull. “By bringing the Imagination Library to Golisano Children’s at UK, we are helping to ensure that world-class care is paired with an endless world of imagination. Every book opened here is an investment in a healthier, stronger and brighter future for Kentucky’s children.”
Imagination Library enrollment partners are often local school districts — critical central hubs that can enroll families across their communities. By partnering with children’s hospitals, families can begin building their libraries as soon as their child is born and receive their first book before they go home.
“Early enrollment studies cite clear evidence of a dose-response relationship between newborn literacy interventions, such as shared reading and language exposure, and a child’s subsequent cognitive and language development,” said Suttles. “Partnering with Golisano Children’s at UK to provide books at birth builds an in-home library of 60 high-quality books to be read over and over, packed in diaper bags to backpacks, wherever the family goes. No need to return; Imagination Library books are happy to be well-loved.”
According to the most recent Kentucky Data Report, children enrolled in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library consistently demonstrate higher rates of kindergarten readiness than their peers. In 2024, more than 52% of children enrolled in the program were kindergarten-ready, even without preschool, scoring 7 to 13 percentage points higher than children not enrolled in the program. Global research found that after just 10 books, children in the program were four times more likely to demonstrate emerging literacy skills than those not enrolled.
UK HealthCare is the hospitals and clinics of the University of Kentucky. But it is so much more. It is more than 10,000 dedicated healthcare professionals committed to providing advanced subspecialty care for the most critically injured and ill patients from the Commonwealth and beyond. It also is the home of the state’s only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, a Level IV Neonatal Intensive Care Unit that cares for the tiniest and sickest newborns and the region’s only Level 1 trauma center.
As an academic research institution, we are continuously pursuing the next generation of cures, treatments, protocols and policies. Our discoveries have the potential to change what’s medically possible within our lifetimes. Our educators and thought leaders are transforming the healthcare landscape as our six health professions colleges teach the next generation of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare professionals, spreading the highest standards of care. UK HealthCare is the power of advanced medicine committed to creating a healthier Kentucky, now and for generations to come.