Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: Get Free Books for Your Child Every Month

It was launched by actress and singer Dolly Parton in 1995 to benefit the children who lived in her home county in East Tennessee.

She was inspired to foster a love of reading among children, as her own father was unable to read.

In 2000, the program began to expand. Since then, it has spread from just East Tennessee to other states and countries, meaning that children all over the world are able to get books for free.

The program began offering state-wide coverage in Tennessee in 2004, and expansion in Canada in 2006, the United Kingdom in 2007 and Australia in 2014.

When the program began in 1995, the first book order totaled just over 1,700, but now, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library sends over a million books each month to children around the world.

According to their website, at the time of writing this post, they have 1,340,266 kids registered and have sent 109,703,783 books by mail.

How it works

Below, we cover its availability, exactly how it works, including how to register and get free books!

Where is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library available

Eligibility in the program is based on location. The program partners with Local Champions.

These are libraries, individuals, businesses, school districts and organizations that help to bring the program to communities around the world.

These Local Champions are the ones who secure the funds that cover the cost of the books and the shipping fees.

So this means that the program isn’t available in every city across the country, although it is pretty widespread.

The program is available in 4 countries:

• Australia
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• United States

You can check your child’s eligibility online and then register them in the program, but more on that below…

How to register your child

In order to register your child in the program, you’ll first need to check whether they’re eligible.

To find out if your child is eligible to get free books from Dolly Parton’s program, use their “Find My Location” feature.

Here’s how:

• Step 1: Visit Find My Program page and select your child’s country, whether that’s the United States, or elsewhere.
• Step 2: Next, enter your postal code and click “check” at the bottom, and it will find your city. You can also enter your address. Then, you’ll need to click the “check” button again.
• Step 3: Once you’ve done that, the website will tell you whether or not the program is available in your area.

If it is, then you’ll be able to register in a couple of ways:

• Online: If you register online, then you’ll need to enter details when applying, such as your address, your child’s name and date of birth.
• By mail: If you register by mail, then you’ll need to click on the PDF provided and then print it out and mail your child’s registration form.

How to get free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Once you’ve registered your child in the program, each month, they will receive a high-quality, age-appropriate book in the mail for free.

Children enrolled in the program receive a book a month from birth to the age of five.

So if you are expecting a child, or have a child who is aged five or below, then you may be able to participate in the program.

What’s great is that you get these books for free.

You’re getting a title for free each month – without having to pay anything for it. You probably save yourself close to $100 a year through the program.

Closing thoughts

Overall, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a great program.

We all know how expensive having a child can be. So anytime that you can get something for free, you should take the opportunity.

Unfortunately, the program isn’t available everywhere, but it’s definitely worth checking the website anyway to see if your child is eligible for free books from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program.