Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Gives Children Opportunity to Receive a Free Book Each Month in the Mail
by Allison Williams
For those of you who have young children, did you know that there is program out there where your babies can receive one age-appropriate book per month via mail?
Dolly Parton created the Dollywood Foundation in 1988 with the hopes of inspiring young children to “achieve educational success.” Initially, she founded the Imagination Library program for children in the United States (it started in Tennessee), but it has since grown and is now a worldwide organization.
My children have both used the program. They have absolutely loved it. As a kid, to receive your very own book in the mail addressed to YOU is exciting! Each month, my children receive a different age-appropriate book in the mail and they add it to their book collections.
How does it work? First, you’ll want to visit https://imaginationlibrary.com and browse the page to learn more about the program. If you have children under five and live in a location where the program is offered, then you are in luck! I’ll walk you through the steps to sign up.
Once you are ready to sign up, on the homepage click “Choose Country” and select United States. Toward the side of the page you should then see an option in red that says “Check Availability” and type in the requested information.
For example, there is availability in Winter Haven!
Once you confirm the program is available in your area, it will provide you with a form that you can print, fill out and return by mail to the local partner.
For example, with the Winter Haven option I used, the form will need to be mailed to the United Way of Central FL in Highland City. There is also a contact name, phone number and email for your reference.
That’s it! Once your form is mailed in, the local partner will take care of the rest. When I registered my children, I believe it took roughly a month to get started, so be patient and remember – you can always reach out to the local partner if you have questions along the way.
Here are some examples of books my kids have received through this awesome program.
