Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a free book-gifting program that Dolly Parton launched in 1995 in her home county in East Tennessee to foster a love of reading among preschool children and their families. Each month, the program mails a high-quality, age-appropriate book directly to every registered child, addressed to them personally, at no cost to the family, regardless of household income. The program expanded nationally starting in 2000, reached statewide coverage in Tennessee in 2004, and grew internationally to Canada in 2006, the United Kingdom in 2007, and Australia in 2014. The first book order in 1995 totaled just over 1,700 books; today the program sends more than three million books per month to children around the world.

What You Get

A monthly mailed, high-quality, age-appropriate children's book, individually addressed to each enrolled child as part of a book-gifting program.

How to Get the Sample

1. Use the 'Check Availability' feature to see if the Imagination Library is already offered in your community. 2. If it is available, enroll your child through the local program (accessible via the Parent Area). 3. Once enrolled, the child's information is entered into the secure Book Order System (BOS) database. 4. Each month, a book addressed to the child is mailed directly to their home at no cost.

Terms

The program is intended for preschool-age children (funding calculations reference the 0-5 population), and enrollment is only possible if a Local Program Partner has established and funded the program in the child's specific geographic area (county, city, school district, or zip code). Books are provided free of charge to enrolled children regardless of family income, but only where a Local Program Partner exists and has secured the funds to cover the wholesale book and mailing costs.

The Catch

The program is not free-to-family in the sense of a personal purchase, but the catch is availability: it only exists in areas where a Local Program Partner has been established and has secured the funding to cover book and shipping costs, so it is not automatically offered everywhere.

Who It's For

Preschool-age children and their families in communities served by a Local Program Partner, as well as organizations, businesses, school districts, or individuals interested in becoming a Local Program Partner.

Why It's Worth It

Enrolled children receive a free, high-quality, age-appropriate book mailed directly to their home every month, addressed to them personally, regardless of their family's income.

Bottom Line

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library mails a free, age-appropriate book each month to enrolled preschool children, at no cost to families. However, enrollment is only possible in communities where a Local Program Partner has been established and has secured funding to run the program.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library? | A program that mails a free, age-appropriate book each month to registered children, addressed to them personally. | Is there a cost to families? | No, books are free to enrolled children because Local Program Partners cover the book and shipping costs. | Who can enroll? | Children living within a geographic area covered by an established Local Program Partner, generally in the preschool (0-5) age range used for program funding estimates. | How many books are sent each month? | More than three million books per month worldwide. | When and where did the program start? | In 1995, in Dolly Parton's home county in East Tennessee. | Is the program available everywhere? | No, only in communities where a Local Program Partner has been set up and funded.