August 28, 2024
The kids started calling me the ‘book lady.’ And Daddy was more proud of that than he was that I was a star.
Singer-songwriter Dolly Parton on the success and expansion of Imagination Library, a children’s book-gifting program she created that delivers free books to children up to age 5 nationwide (and around the world).
Why It Matters: 1 in 7 children under the age of 5 in the United States receive books from the Imagination Library, according to the nonprofit that works with local organizations to facilitate the delivery of these FREE books. Parton marked a statewide expansion to all counties in Kentucky this week and also traveled to Missouri, where she celebrated a statewide expansion of the program which occurred there late last year. After launching in 1995, the Imagination Library has delivered books to 240 million children, with 3 million gifted every month. Dolly Parton, who grew up in poverty in Tennessee, launched Imagination Library to honor her father, who had never learned to read.
More Context: According to the Imagination Library team, a book gets mailed to a child every 1.3 seconds. Know a child age 0-5 who you think might enjoy free books thanks to Imagination Library and its local partners? Learn more HERE.
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Imagination Library website
Dolly Parton is sending free books to children across 21 states — and around the world (AP News)
by Aimee Roberts, based in Virginia
