As beloved country music star Dolly Parton once said, “you’ll never do a whole lot unless you’re brave enough to try!” Dolly has done a lot over her years of fame, but nothing as generous as one of her biggest accomplishments, Imagination Library.
Throughout the years, the organization has celebrated a number of milestones as well as received many awards. According to the organization’s website, no matter the family's income, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five. Since the organization's initial launching in 1995 in Sevier County, Tennessee (where Dolly grew up), Imagination Library has grown from delivering books within the county, to over a million around the world. “Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission,” says Dolly. “In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 1 million children.”
Reading is absolutely essential in a child’s early learning routine. The National Commission on Reading states that “the single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.” Imagination Library works to help early education by mailing high-quality, age-appropriate books to every child registered. This is at no cost to the family, with parents stating how excited their children are every time a new book arrives. Helping them learn good reading skills and creating close bonding moments parents can have while reading to their children. By simply researching Imagination Library registration, you’ll find a link taking you directly to the organization’s website. From there, all you have to do is follow the easy steps until you’re ready to go!
With over 150 million books gifted to children all over the world, who wouldn’t want to get involved? To be a book gifter, you’ll want to sign up to be a part of this organization within your area. From there, you’ll be contacted by a member of the team and can get started. If an Imagination Library is not in your area yet, here are a few steps to make a change! First, you’ll need funding that you can get from financial supporters or a non-profit partner. Next, contact your Dollywood Foundation Regional Director and state your intentions. From there, you’ll receive the Memorandum of Agreement and Affiliate Information Sheet that provides all relationship and other key information. Now is the fun part and start bringing books to your community!
It’s never too late to make a difference in a child’s life, whether they’re your own or someone else’s! Visit the Imagination Library site today to learn everything about this organization, how you can receive a book every month, and how you can get involved.