Books from Birth registrations spike after Dolly Parton�s death; county bears $2.40 per-book administration cost

Catherine Hallerbach, the new director of the Prince George's County Memorial Library System, told the committee that the Books from Birth program saw a substantial registration increase this summer. "We had 843 additional registrations in August," Hallerbach said, attributing the surge to increased public interest following Dolly Partons death and noting the library had earlier launched an English-Spanish bilingual option that may have also contributed.

Hallerbach explained that while the Dolly Parton Foundation supplies the actual books, the county incurs administrative costs to run the program. Staff said the countys FY2026 contribution for Books from Birth in the public services/program budget was $372,000, and that local processing and shipping costs amount to about $2.40 per book. Library staff indicated they will continue to seek partnerships and donations to manage administration costs as registrations rise.