WHEN THE BOOKS STOPPED COMING: LOW-SES CAREGIVERS’ EXPERIENCES OF SHARED READING DURING A PAUSE AND RESUMPTION OF THE DOLLY PARTON IMAGINATION LIBRARY

Abstract

This qualitative study examined how low-socioeconomic-status (SES) caregivers experienced the continuity, disruption, and resumption of monthly book deliveries from Imagination Library Denver (ILD), and what those experiences revealed about shared reading, book access, and family literacy routines. Using a generic qualitative design, semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 caregivers whose children were enrolled in ILD and were directly affected by a four-month pause in book delivery. Interviews explored caregivers’ experiences during periods of consistent delivery, interruption, and resumption, and focused on how caregivers made meaning of book access within their daily lives.Guided by Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, findings illustrate how monthly book deliveries functioned as cultural tools that supported predictable shared-reading routines, caregiver-child interaction, and emotional connection. Caregivers described the arrival of the monthly book as a valued cue that anchored family routines, fostered children’s excitement and ownership, and supported caregivers’ confidence in sustaining shared reading. During the pause, caregivers reported disruptions to routines, declines in children’s motivation, and increased emotional strain, particularly in households facing book deserts, transportation barriers, and limited access to alternative literacy resources. The absence of communication during the pause further intensified caregivers’ stress and uncertainty, underscoring the relational importance of predictability and trust in literacy-support programs. When book deliveries resumed, caregivers described immediate relief, renewed engagement, and restored routines, highlighting the central role of consistency in supporting family literacy practices. Together, these findings suggest that continuity in book access, and transparent communication when disruptions occur, plays a critical role in sustaining shared reading in low-resource contexts. This study contributes to early childhood literacy research by foregrounding caregiver perspectives and identifying predictability as an important mechanism through which book-gifting programs support resilience, relational connection, and early literacy development in families navigating socioeconomic hardship.