The Dollywood Foundation and Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education have teamed up to foster a love of reading to children statewide.
Starting Wednesday, Dolly Parton's Imaginary Library will expand to all of Missouri to delivering high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to the homes of registered children under 5. Parton's efforts are dedicated to inspiring a love for reading.
The registration for the program is free, and there will be no cost each month for the books or the postage to deliver them.
The Missouri Imagination Library was made possible by legislation that identifies school districts that desire a partnership to meet the needs of children. The total funding for this expansion was included in DESE's fiscal year 2024 budget creating this opportunity for all children ages 0-5 in Missouri.
Learn how the books are selected here.
“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true," Parton said in a statement. "I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world."
This book-giving program was originally launched in Parton's hometown, Sevier County, Tennessee, back in 1995. The concept was inspired by her father's inability to read.
The Imagination Library grew quickly and the pursuit for global expansion became Parton's goal. Now, the program is accessible in the U.S, United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Canada and Australia.
This consistent effort has earned countless awards, such as the Eric Carle Angel Award, Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval, Best Practices Award from the Library of Congress Literacy Awards.
The Imagination Library has a total of 2,657,102 children registered in the program, according to its website. In 2022, the program reached 2 million books mailed monthly, with one in 10 children in the U.S. receiving the books.