Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Safford City-Graham County Library, 111 E Main St, 2nd Floor, 2nd Floor, TN 37862
About
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes. The program mails books to enrolled children each month and added audio and braille books in 2011. As of 2022, the program mails 2 million books each month globally.
• Ages: Birth–5 years old
• Price: Books are gifted free of charge to children from birth to age five.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland. The program operates in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, and funding is shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in these countries. Native American communities were added in 2002, and in 2004 Dolly’s home state of Tennessee pledged to pursue statewide coverage.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was launched in 1995, and a national replication effort began in 2000. By 2003, the program had mailed one million books, and in 2004 Tennessee pledged to pursue statewide coverage. After the United States, the program launched in Canada in 2006, the United Kingdom in 2007, Australia in 2013, and the Republic of Ireland in 2019. In 2010, Dolly presented the 25 millionth Imagination Library book, and in 2011, audio and braille books were added. In 2013, the program expanded to Australia, and in 2015, Dolly Parton license plates began pre-sales in Tennessee. In 2016, the Imagination Library began sending one million books a month, and in 2017, the official Dolly Parton license plate became available in Tennessee benefiting Imagination Library. In 2018, the 100th million book was dedicated to the Library of Congress, and in 2019, Dolly’s Imagination Library expanded to the Republic of Ireland. In 2020, the program gifted its 150 millionth book, and in 2021, the Library of Congress awarded the Imagination Library the $150k David M. Rubenstein Prize. In 2022, 2 million books were mailed each month globally, in 2023 the Imagination Library gifted its 200 millionth book since inception, and in 2024, 1 in 7 children (14 percent) under the age of 5 in the U.S. received a book in the mail each month from the program. In 2025, the Imagination Library celebrated its 30 year anniversary.
The program has received the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, a Best Practices award from the Library of Congress Literacy Awards, and recognition in Reading Psychology. In 2021, the Library of Congress awarded the Imagination Library with the $150k David M. Rubenstein Prize.
Last updated January 16, 2026.
• Ages: Birth–5 years old
• Price: Books are gifted free of charge to children from birth to age five.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland. The program operates in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland, and funding is shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in these countries. Native American communities were added in 2002, and in 2004 Dolly’s home state of Tennessee pledged to pursue statewide coverage.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was launched in 1995, and a national replication effort began in 2000. By 2003, the program had mailed one million books, and in 2004 Tennessee pledged to pursue statewide coverage. After the United States, the program launched in Canada in 2006, the United Kingdom in 2007, Australia in 2013, and the Republic of Ireland in 2019. In 2010, Dolly presented the 25 millionth Imagination Library book, and in 2011, audio and braille books were added. In 2013, the program expanded to Australia, and in 2015, Dolly Parton license plates began pre-sales in Tennessee. In 2016, the Imagination Library began sending one million books a month, and in 2017, the official Dolly Parton license plate became available in Tennessee benefiting Imagination Library. In 2018, the 100th million book was dedicated to the Library of Congress, and in 2019, Dolly’s Imagination Library expanded to the Republic of Ireland. In 2020, the program gifted its 150 millionth book, and in 2021, the Library of Congress awarded the Imagination Library the $150k David M. Rubenstein Prize. In 2022, 2 million books were mailed each month globally, in 2023 the Imagination Library gifted its 200 millionth book since inception, and in 2024, 1 in 7 children (14 percent) under the age of 5 in the U.S. received a book in the mail each month from the program. In 2025, the Imagination Library celebrated its 30 year anniversary.
The program has received the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, a Best Practices award from the Library of Congress Literacy Awards, and recognition in Reading Psychology. In 2021, the Library of Congress awarded the Imagination Library with the $150k David M. Rubenstein Prize.
Last updated January 16, 2026.
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