History of the Program

In 1995, Dolly Parton launched Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (an initiative of the Dollywood Foundation) to benefit the children of her home county in East Tennessee. Dolly’s vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month. To date, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) mails free, age-appropriate books to over 1.5 million children each month directly to their home from birth to age five in participating communities within the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland. Dolly’s homegrown effort is now a part of thousands of communities’ early childhood strategies and is increasingly a vital part of educational policy for states, provinces, and territories.

In the United States, the Imagination Library has grown to reach children in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. State-wide coverage was established in Tennessee in 2004, and North Carolina’s legislature approved funding to expand statewide in 2017. In all other states, the program is available in communities where a local partner has teamed up with the Imagination Library. Those partners can be nonprofits, state agencies, school districts, or a public library system. Any child from 0 to 5 is eligible to enroll. Local partners are responsible for promoting their program, enrolling children who live in their geographical area, and securing funds to cover the cost of the books and shipping ($26.00 per child per year).

In return, DPIL chooses, sources, and ships the books to all registered children; addressed to them, at no cost to the child’s family. A panel of early childhood literacy experts, nicknamed Dolly’s Blue Ribbon Panel, selects the age-appropriate books, which are organized around themes and concepts, and include two bilingual Spanish-English books per year. Audio and braille versions of the books are also available. The choices range from time-tested titles like The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter to contemporary classics such as Newbery Medal winner Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Pena.

In 2002, local communities throughout Arkansas started county affiliates to deliver books in the natural state. In July 2017, Governor Asa Hutchinson provided a one-time gift to create the Arkansas Imagination Library (ARIL), a statewide 501c3 nonprofit organization that works with local affiliates to expand the program. Since 2017, ARIL worked with local communities and grew the program from 54 to all 75 counties; increasing the number of children receiving books from 16,700 to over 80,000.

Garland County Imagination Library began in 2012 providing books to children residing in Garland County. In 2016, Garland County Imagination Library expanded to include Montgomery County. At that time Garland County Imagination Library began doing business as Imagination Library of the Ouachitas. In 2018, the Imagination Library expanded again to include Pike County. Since 2012, Imagination Library of the Ouachitas has provided 278,264 high quality books to children in Garland, Montgomery and Pike Counties.

By providing books at no cost to families, the Imagination Library increases childhood literacy rates, fosters a love of books, and promotes a culture of reading among families in Garland, Montgomery and Pike Counties.