Welcome To
Imagination
Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Our program helps provide free, high-quality, age-appropriate books every month to children from birth to age five. Books are mailed directly to the child’s home, creating a special reading experience that encourages a lifelong love of books.
Each book arrives addressed to the child, making reading exciting and showing them that someone is thinking about them.
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4000+
Children Enrolled
57,000+
Books Mailed
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5000+
Children Served
About Us
Imagination Library RVA is proudly supported by Read to Them, a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization focused on improving children’s literacy and based in downtown Richmond.
The mission of Read to Them is to promote a strong culture of reading and literacy within every community.
For additional details or inquiries, please reach out to Project Manager Kimberly
Fehrs.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library as a tribute to her father, who never had the chance to learn how to read or write. He often remarked that this initiative was the "most significant achievement" of her entire career.
Creating a Global Impact
Since its inception in 1995, the Imagination Library has grown into the world’s leading program for gifting books to early childhood learners.
As the primary initiative of The Dollywood Foundation—a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit—the program has successfully distributed nearly 200 million free books. Its reach extends across the globe, The United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, Australia, The Republic of Ireland
Sign Up Your Child to Receive Free Books
Children from birth to age five living in our service area are eligible to receive one free, high-quality book every month.
Parents or legal guardians can easily enroll their child using our online registration form. If you have more than one child under five, each child can be registered separately and will receive their own books.
Enroll today and start building your child’s home library.
“The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home before starting school.”
— National Commission on Reading
Why Imagination Library?
Many households do not have enough books for children to read at home.
Children who struggle with reading by the
4th grade are 4 times more
likely to leave school without completing high school.
Nearly 80% of children from low-income families and over 90% of
English language learners are reading below their grade level.
About 85% of a child’s brain develops before the age of five, making early reading experiences extremely important for lifelong learning and development.”