In 1996, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Program was launched to benefit the children of her home county (Sevier) in East Tennessee. Dolly’s vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month. By mailing high quality, age-appropriate books directly to their home, she wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. This program would also ensure that every child would have access to books in their home, regardless of their family’s income.
The program became so popular that in the year 2000 Parton announced that she would make the program available to any community that was willing to partner with her and to financially support their own program locally. In 2005, the United Way of Southwest Minnesota became the local affiliate for the region registering 244 children in the first month. That number has since grown to 2,654 local children receiving books on a monthly basis. Sarah Warner, Education & Volunteer Services coordinator said “Imagination Library is the guarantee that a child has books on their bookshelf, in their toy area, or in their favorite reading spot. It’s the promise of children still learning to use their Imagination in a world driven by technology. It’s the joy they feel each month when they open the mailbox to find their book waiting for them.”
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