There’s so much to love about Dolly Parton, who died Tuesday at the age of 80. From her music and funding of a Covid vaccine and pediatric infectious disease research, to staging telethons after devastating wildfires in her native Tennessee and her candidness about plastic surgery, she’s a certifiable American treasure.
Here’s another reason to love Dolly: Her Imagination Library program, which aims to inspire a love of reading in children at an early age.
Started by the legendary country singer in 1995, Imagination Library mails free books to children from birth through age 5. The program includes more than 2,700 local affiliates in 21 states, including Pennsylvania, along with affiliates in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland. More than 3 million books are gifted to children around the world each month, and children have received more than 330 million books since the program began.
There are currently local affiliates in 16 Pennsylvania counties, including nonprofit organizations, regional libraries, and school districts.
You can see if there is an Imagination Library affiliate in your area here. If the program isn’t currently available in your area, you can provide your contact information to receive a notification when the program does become available.
You can also launch an affiliate yourself as an Imagination Library “Champion.” Any entity or individual in a community can become an affiliate to offer the program in an unserved area. Visit the Start A Program page to learn more about becoming an affiliate.
