Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Gives Free Books to Children

In 1995, Dolly Parton launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to benefit the children of her home county in Tennessee. Her vision was to foster the love of reading among the children in her area. The program gave each child a specially selected book each month. State-wide coverage in Tennessee was established in 2004. A nationwide program was then launched, and international growth of the program has included Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. 

Each month, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails a high quality age appropriate book to all registered children – at no cost to the child’s family. According to verywellfamily.com, “The books from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library strive to showcase diversity, help build self-confidence, and show the importance of the arts and its impact on the world.” 

The Imagination Library works by partnering with Local Champions such as business or schools. The books are 100% free to children who enroll in the program because their Local Champion has secured funds to cover the cost of the books and the shipping fees. 

However, different regions may have different limitations for Imagination Library programs. For example, the 2017-2019 state budget for North Carolina included 10.5 million for Smart Start to expand Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library across North Carolina. However, it would cost over $15 million to serve every single child in the state. Therefore, the budget did not allow for the enrollment of every child in every community. The Dolly Parton Imagination Library website has a link that you can find out if the program is available in your area.