Country music superstar Dolly Parton has won 11 Grammies, earned the National Medal of Honor, and been named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress, but her greatest achievement might be her Imagination Library, which has shipped more than 250 million free books to children over the past 30 years.
On Aug. 27, Parton visited Missouri and Kentucky to celebrate those states' expansion of areas eligible for receiving free kids' books from her Imagination Library. At an event in Lexington, Kentucky, Parton said that "the Imagination Library has meant as much, if not more to me, than nearly anything that I've ever done," according to WHAS 11.
More than 1 million children receive a free book from the Imagination Library each month. Learn how your family can sign up for the free kids' books, and what you can do if the service isn't available in your location.
What is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library?
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library inspires families to read by providing books to children from birth to age 5 every month at no cost. Parton started the program in her hometown community of Sevier County, Tennessee back in 1995. Since then it has expanded to 21 US states and Washington, DC, Australia, Canada, Ireland and the UK.
Parton's inspiration for the Imagination Library came from her father, Robert Lee Parton, who was unable to read. On her website, Parton says, "He was the smartest man I have ever known, but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams."
According to the Imagination Library website, 1 in 7 children under 5 in the US receives books from the program each month.
How can I register to get free books for my kids?
First you'll need to find out if your state and county participate in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library by using the program's availability checker. If you're in the US, select the country and then enter your zip code, which will populate your state, county and city. Click the red "Check" button.
The Imagination Library availability checker will let you know if your family is eligible.
Imagination Library/Screenshot by CNETIf you live in a participating location, you'll receive confirmation with a link to "Continue" registering. If you don't, you'll have the opportunity to sign up for a notification for when the program becomes available in your area.
On the following registration forms, you'll need to provide your mailing address, your child's name and birth date, and your own personal and contact information. Once you complete the registration, your child should receive their first book in about eight to 12 weeks. After that first shipment, your child should receive a free, age-appropriate book through the mail every month.
Which states participate in the Imagination Library program?
As of February 2024, 21 US states and Washington, DC, are participating in the Imagination Library free books program, according to the website. There have been updates to the program since that list was published, however, so be sure to use the availability checker to see if you're eligible.
For an area to be eligible for these free books, a local partner must cover the overhead shipping costs. The rest of the funds are provided by the Dollywood Foundation.
In these 11 states and locales, every child under 5 years old is eligible for free books from the Imagination Library:
- Arkansas
- Delaware
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Montana
- North Carolina
- Ohio
- Tennessee
- Washington
- Washington, DC
- West Virginia
A further nine states are currently expanding their programs to encompass all residents:
- Alabama
- California
- Colorado
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Oklahoma
And two states will be launching the program "soon."
- New Mexico
- Oregon
As noted, the state information from the Imagination Library website hasn't been updated since February, and more initiatives have launched since then. Oregon announced its expansion in May 2024, and New Mexico seems to be currently active as well.
A quick check of zip codes found that the program is available to residents of Eugene, Oregon, in ZIP code 97401. Likewise, we found that the Imagination Library is open to people living in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in ZIP code 88001. Again, be sure to use the availability checker on the website to see if you can get free books for your kids.
For more, learn how teenagers can get free online library cards from the Brooklyn Library.