WORD OF THANKS-Imagination Library Colorado

Imagination Library of Colorado 

Imagination Library of Colorado (ILCO) is a book gifting program that mails one new, developmentally appropriate book every month to 74,000+ Colorado children* from birth until they begin kindergarten, at no cost to their families. 

Our goal is to grow enrollment from 24% to 60% of Colorado children by 2027 - that's mailing 210,000+ books EVERY month at a cost of $2.60 per book. Children in Colorado zip codes can enroll for books at imaginationlibrarycolorado.org.**

This program is offered at no cost to families thanks to our ILCO partnerships: half of the funding is raised by a community nonprofit in our 64 counties, and the other half is provided by the State of Colorado and the Colorado Department of Early Childhood.

Funds from the Word of Thanks will pay for 45,000 books in some of Colorado's highest need communities including Denver/Aurora, Weld, Morgan and Delta counties.

A $15.60 donation will pay for 1 year of books for 1 child, including 2 books each year that are English/Spanish bilingual.

How We Know It Works

In 2025, we distributed a statewide survey to Colorado families enrolled in the program:

• 93% said Imagination Library is helping prepare their child for kindergarten.
• 36% stated that Imagination Library is their primary source of books. 

• "I can't thank you enough for this amazing program. Our kids love all the books - they are the centerpiece to evenings and bedtime for our family." - Denver Parent

In 2022, ILCO partnered with CO Lab to conduct a 3-year evaluation study which found evidence indicating a positive causal effect on kindergarten readiness.

• Children in the Imagination Library Colorado (ILCO) program are 41% more likely to score above the threshold for significant reading deficiencies on the DIBELS assessment at kindergarten entry than non-participants.

Thank you for your role in instilling a lifelong love of reading in young children, preparing them for school, and inspiring them to dream more, learn more, care more, and be more. Your financial support makes it possible for us to provide equitable access to developmentally appropriate books to children from birth until their fifth birthday throughout Colorado, at no cost to families!  

* An additional 8,300 children are enrolled in Imagination Library of Denver. These children are not receiving their May book due to funding shortfalls. Denver families will go on a waitlist to receive books once Denver funding is secured.

** There are parts of Boulder, El Paso and Jefferson counties where there in not a non-profit partner, so families go on a waitlist.