Children listened intently as Indiana First Lady Maureen Braun began reading “The Little Engine that Could” on Thursday during storytime at the Gary Public Library and Cultural Center.
It marked Braun’s first official visit to Gary since her husband, Gov. Mike Braun, became governor in January. She received a tour of the library from its director, Dianna Morrow, and chatted freely with attendees.
Indiana first lady Maureen Braun reads a book for children at the Gary Public Library in Gary, Indiana, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Braun’s visit was to promote the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Gary. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
The classic “The Little Engine that Could” is the first book children receive when their parents sign up for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, which provides a free book each month to children ages birth to 5.
A cardboard cutout of Parton holding a book loomed behind Braun as she read to the children.
Her visit celebrated a milestone, marking the expansion of the Imagination Library to every child in Lake County, said Julie Wendorf, director of the Crown Point Community Library and president of the Indiana Library Federation.
A $250,000 donation from the Dean and Barbara White Family Foundation allowed libraries in Hammond, East Chicago, Gary and Lowell to be able to participate in the program, launched in 1995 by the Dollywood Foundation.
Already, they’ve enrolled 755 children.
One of 12 children, Parton grew up in poverty in the Smoky Mountains in rural Tennessee. Imagination Library honors her father, who couldn’t read or write. It aims to inspire children to enjoy reading.
The program is based on a shared funding model with community partners such as libraries, which fund the wholesale cost of the books and postage through foundations or donations.
The Dollywood Foundation covers administrative costs, allowing local funds to go directly to book distribution and shipping fees.
Parents can sign up at libraries or online.
The local partners typically hold fundraising activities to raise funds to cover their costs.
The Imagination Library’s popularity grew after the state began matching funding in 2023, and today it’s in all 92 counties.
State lawmakers earmarked $6 million in their two-year budget for the program in 2023, but the GOP-dominated legislature and Gov. Braun failed to include it in their budget plans this year.
Indiana was one of 21 states to fund the program.
Katerina Solorio, 4, looks over the free book he received during Indiana first lady Maureen Braun’s visit to the Gary Public Library in Gary, Indiana, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Solorio was one of many children who attended the program from Lisa’s Safe Haven Childcare in East Chicago. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
The yanking of support passed the funding burden to groups including the Porter County Community Foundation and the Lake County Public Library Foundation, which now have to finance the other 50%. Porter County libraries all provide access to the program.
Meanwhile, Gov. Braun said he values literacy and learning. He drafted his wife Maureen to work with philanthropic partners in consultation with state leadership to identify funding opportunities for the book distribution program that reached thousands of youngsters last year.
Maureen Braun said she wants to ensure children have as much exposure as possible to books and learning.
“Indiana has many strong community partners, and I am confident we will collaborate on a solution that grows children’s love of reading.”
On Thursday, she said it would make sense for babies to be registered for the Imagination Library in the hospital right after their birth.
“That way, they don’t have another burden right after they get home,” she said of parents.
The state’s first lady also praised Parton.
“Dolly knew what she was doing when she set it up. The more people involved, their heart and soul is in it.”
She mentioned this year’s 5-point uptick in Indiana reading scores. “Just think if we could get more children enrolled. I think it’s so important.”
Wendorf said she took it as her mission to include all of Lake County in the free book program, which Crown Point has enjoyed since 2014 in partnership with the Crown Point Rotary Club.
Presently, she said, about 4,884 children are receiving free books each month in Lake County.
“This isn’t just a celebration of books – it’s a celebration of opportunity,” said Wendorf. “We know early literacy is one of the strongest predictors of school readiness and long-term academic success.
“By putting books into the hands of children during their most critical years of development, we’re laying a foundation for brighter futures, stronger schools, and stronger communities.”
Indiana first lady Maureen Braun visits with trustee McKenya Dillworth Smith at the Gary Public Library in Gary, Indiana, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025. Braun’s visit was to promote the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Gary. (Andy Lavalley/for the Post-Tribune)
Wendorf thanked Bill Hanna, executive director of the Dean and Barbara White Foundation, for its backing and Kelly Anoe, executive director of the Legacy Foundation, a fiscal partner that’s helping build sustainability for the program.
“Their support has opened the doors of this program to communities that have not previously had access, ensuring that every child in Lake County has the same opportunity to grow up surrounded by stories that inspire learning and imagination,” said Wendorf.
Hanna said the funding underscores the White Foundation’s commitment to Lake County.
“This is our home… I can’t think of anything that’s more impactful than books for our children,” he said.
Carole Carlson is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
