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The Imagination Library marks 30 years, inspiring the love for reading in more than 270 million children in 5 countries
Dolly Parton’s imagination library marks its 30th anniversary in 2025, celebrating a notable legacy of promoting love for reading in more than 270 million children. Since its humble beginnings in 1995, beginning in the hometown of Dolly of the County of Sevier, Tennessee, this local literacy initiative has become a global phenomenon. Today, the Imagination Library free gifts, high quality books for children from birth to five years, regardless of their family’s income, in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
Each month, each registered child receives a new and appropriate book for age by mail, directed to them by name, a personal gift from Dolly that often becomes a monthly ritual appreciated. When sending high quality books directly to children’s homes, Dolly wanted children to feel excited about reading and experience the wonder that books can create.
Literacy and love milestones
From the beginning, Dolly had a vision to ensure that each child could experience the joy of reading. In 2011, the Imagination Library was associated with American Printing House for the blind, creating audio and braille versions of selected books for children with visual disabilities. For 2015, the program began to include bilingual titles in English -Spanish, recognizing the importance of various languages in the celebration of the inheritance of families. Recently, California became the first state to offer a totally bilingual imagination library throughout the state, which allows children to receive all their talented books in English and Spanish.
Imagination library milestones
- 2000 – The national replication effort begins
- 2004 – The first state program is launched in Tennessee
- 2006 – Lanza of the Imagination Library in Canada
- 2007 – Lanza of the Imagination Library in the United Kingdom
- 2011 – Audio & Braille Books added
- 2013 – Lanza of the Imagination Library in Australia
- 2016 – One million books endowed every month
- 2018 – 100 million book dedicated to the Congress Library
- 2019 – Lanza of the Imagination Library in the Republic of Ireland
- 2021 – The imagination library reaches all the provinces and territory of Canada
- 2022 – 200 millionth book, 2 million books endowed every month
- 2024 – 3 million books endowed every month
- 2025 – 30 Anniversary!
In February 2018, Dolly celebrated an inspiring milestone by dedicating the number 100 million of the imagination library, a special edition of her beloved story, “Coat of Many Colors”, to the Library of Congress in Washington, DC Dolly joined the librarian of the Carla Hayden Congress to read with children and share the gratitude of how much the program had arrived. Calling honor something that would treasure forever, Dolly proudly placed the book in the world’s largest library, a testimony of what the community and compassion can achieve.
During the challenging times in 2020, Dolly’s Warlth arrived at families through “Goodnight with Dolly”, a comforting series of videos of videos for bedtime. Every week, Dolly invited children around the world to join her online, snuggled in pajamas and reading favorite stories of the Imagination Library. This series quickly became a beloved weekly tradition, offering comfort and joy while remembering everyone to continue dreaming and believing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
A story that continues to grow
After three decades, Dolly Parton’s imagination library continues to have an incredible impact:
- Each child registered from birth will receive a personal library of 60 books for when they turn five.
- The Imagination Library currently gives more than 3 million monthly books, more or less one every second.
- Today, approximately 1 in 7 children under five years in the United States receive Dolly gifted books every month. Since its launch in the United Kingdom in 2007, more than 6 million books have been given to families there. In Canada, more than 4 million books have been given to families since the program began there in 2006.
- The Imagination Library now includes 21 state programs fully financed in the United States, with more states to join continuously.
Inspiring families to dream more, learn more, worry more and be more
Dolly often says that the Imagination Library occupies a special place in her heart. His late father once told him that it was probably the most important thing he had done: a compliment Dolly Treasures deeply. Founded as a tribute to him, the Imagination Library honors his father’s memory by inspiring children everywhere to dream big and love reading. With the help of thousands of local partners, Dolly’s mission has become a world movement.
Every month, while children enthusiastically open their books personally directed to them, Dolly’s dream prosper. Parents and caregivers appreciate the moments of linking and the routines of the time of bedtime that these books believe, which makes Dolly’s monthly gifts a precious family tradition. After three decades, Dolly’s vision resonates deeply, demonstrating a simple act of love, giving a story, can echo generations, illuminating the lives of children and families everywhere.
After 30 incredible years, Dolly’s imagination library continues to grow, inspire the love for reading, a book, a child and an imagination at the same time.
Books for Blood Readers
Spring is a wonderful time of the year to let your son’s reading skills flourish opening a good book together! Celebrate spring with some of these books specially selected and appropriate for age that come out to registered children this spring.
How to greet a worm
This delicious book by Kari Percival embodies the magic of gardening and encourages all readers to interact with nature at their own comfortable rhythm.
I am a meadow siren
A farm girl with a great imagination converts her home without a coastline into an oceanic playground in this Kallie George’s dream image book with Elly Mackay illustrations.
Baby touch farm
This playful touch and sensation book of Ladybird involves babies while discovering the farm and detecting all their favorite farm animals.
New in the Imagination Library?
Verify the availability in your area to register a child, register to receive a notification when the imagination library is available for you or get more information about how to start a program in your area.
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