Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Encourages Children to Read

Most people are familiar with who Dolly Parton is and that she grew up in east Tennessee. They know she is a singer, actress and owns Dollywood and Dixie Stampede Dinner Theatre, both in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. What people may not know about her is that in 1996, she started Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

The Imagination Library was started in Sevier County, Tennessee, to encourage reading in preschool children and their families in her hometown. She wanted the children to be excited about books and wanted to make sure that all children had books to read, regardless of their family's income. She decided to mail an age-appropriate book each month to every child age 5 and under in Sevier County. The first book she mailed was The Little Engine That Could. She continued this program every month until the child reached the age of 5. The last book they would receive was Lookout Kindergarten Here I Come.

The program in Sevier County was such a success that other communities wanted to join in. Dolly Parton's foundation, The Dollywood Foundation, developed a way for other communities across the state to participate in the program. They formed a blue ribbon panel of experts in the education field to select the books to be sent and then developed a database to keep track of all the children's information.

The Imagination Library has been so successful that now every county in the State of Tennessee is part of the library and all children age 5 and younger in the state are eligible to receive the books at no cost to the families regardless of the family's income. Once registered, the children receive one book per month from their birth to their fifth birthday, for a total of 60 books. The library has expanded into 36 states and Canada. The Imagination Library gives out over 2.5 million free books each year. The panel of experts meet every year to select the books to be sent. They make sure that all books chosen are age appropriate to help with the development of the child.

In order for the Imagination Library to work in a community, the community must make the program accessible to all preschool children in their area. Guidelines for the communities participation in the library is the same no matter what state they are located in. The community pays for the books, they pay for the mailing, they have to promote the program in their area, they need to register the children and enter the information into the database. After the child is registered, The Dollywood Foundation takes over. The foundation will manage the database and make sure the books are sent to the homes of the children.

In the State of Tennessee, the Governor obtains the General Assembly's approval each year to pay 50% of the cost of the program in each county. Anyone can also sponsor a child by making a yearly contribution of $27.00 per child.

If your child is not already registered for this wonderful program, you can see if he or she is eligible by logging onto the library website at www.dollysimaginationlibrary.com. There will be a section for first time visitors that you click on and see if the Imagination Library is offered in your community. If it lets you proceed to register your child, just fill out the appropriate information. If there is not a program in your community, you may want to contact the local human resource department and see if they are considering participating in the Imagination Library. It is a worthwhile program for any community to participate in. The difference these books could make in a child's life is priceless. Dolly Parton is one of those people who has put back into her community more than she took out. She is a lady that should be commended on her efforts to enrich a child's life.