Akron-Canton Airport and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: Turning Travel Time into Story Time
Families traveling through Akron-Canton Airport now have a new way to make their journey even more special. In partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Stark County, the airport is offering young children a chance to pick out a free book from a bookcase located in the Step2 PlayPort in the main concourse.
This initiative encourages families to use travel time as an opportunity for shared reading and learning, reinforcing research that shows reading with children strengthens language skills and builds emotional connections. The bookcase features titles in both English and Spanish, which can be enjoyed in the PlayPort or taken on the plane.
“Books have the power to transport young minds, just as airplanes transport people,” said Mary Ellen Icaza, executive director of Stark Library. By making books available at the airport, families can turn waiting time into meaningful moments of connection.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides free books to children from birth to age five, delivering a new book each month at no cost to families. In Stark County, the program is managed by Stark Library, with funding shared between the library and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Ohio.
Through this collaboration, Akron-Canton Airport continues to enhance the travel experience by creating a welcoming and enriching environment for families, ensuring that every journey has the potential to spark a love of reading.
