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Overview
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free book-gifting program that mails one high-quality, age-appropriate book monthly to children from birth until age five, regardless of family income. Founded in 1995 to foster a love of reading, it has delivered over 200 million books across five countries.
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Key details about the program:
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Goal: To inspire a lifelong love of reading and improve early literacy skills.
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Eligibility: Children under age 5 are eligible, and the program is free to families.
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Process: After registration, children receive a new book every month until they turn five.
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Origins: Launched in 1995 by Dolly Parton in East Tennessee, initially for children in her home county.
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Reach: The program operates in the U.S., Canada, UK, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.
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The program has been shown to significantly increase the likelihood of children being read to frequently, with participants demonstrating stronger early literacy skills.
Why Promote Literacy at an Early Age!
Research indicates that only about 2% to 3% of children nationally can read simple words or sentences upon entering kindergarten.
In Massachusetts, studies on early literacy screening (grades K-3) found that a significant portion of students are not on track, with approximately one-third identified as significantly below benchmarks at various points.
And data on the Middleborough Public Schools district shows that 36% of elementary students (generally grades 1-5) tested at or above the proficient level for reading.
This indicates that 64% of elementary students in the district were not proficient in reading based on these specific, broader school-level, not kindergarten-entry, metrics.
