On August 25, 2026, country music legend Dolly Parton passed away at the age of 80. Parton is remembered for her classic songs, such as “I Will Always Love You,” “Jolene,” and “9 to 5.” She also had acting roles in movies such as Steel Magnolias. Dolly Parton leaves behind one of the most impressive artistic legacies of all time. She also leaves another contribution that may be even more important: the Imagination Library. Here, btw takes a closer look at this impactful education program.
What is Imagination Library?
In 1995, Dolly Parton launched a book-gifting program called Imagination Library. The organization mailed out free books directly to children’s homes at no charge to the families. The program began small, first sending books to children in Parton’s home county of Sevier County, Tennessee. It was a huge success, and by 2003, the program had mailed out one million books. In 2006, it expanded to Canada. Imagination Library now serves children in five countries: the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and Ireland.
The program exceeded Parton’s wildest goals and expectations. By 2016, Imagination Library was mailing out one million books per month. In 2025, the program gifted 40,356,668 books–the equivalent of mailing a book every 0.78 seconds! Today, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is the number one early childhood book gifting program in the world. So far, more than 300 million free books have been delivered directly to children’s homes.
Every child enrolled in the program receives one book per month, from birth until age five. The books are new and age appropriate. The first book a child receives is The Little Engine That Could, and the final one is Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come! The books are also personalized with the child’s name, and several bilingual English/Spanish titles are available as well.
Why Books?
Having access to books is a key part of children’s literacy development. Studies have found that children who have at least 100 books in their home are more motivated to read. Readers are also exposed to thousands more words and score better on standardized reading tests than their peers who do not have books in their homes. However, not every family can afford books.
In fact, a recent study revealed that nearly half of U.S. children (45 percent) live in neighborhoods without libraries or bookstores or they live in homes where no books are present. Children without access to books fall behind their peers, especially during the summer months, when 80 percent of them lose essential reading skills.
Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library program to prevent children from falling behind in reading ability. She was inspired by her father, who was very bright but was unable to read or write because he grew up in poverty. Her father did not have access to books. Before he died, Parton’s father told her that the Imagination Library was the most important work she’d ever done.
What is the Impact?
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has had a profound impact on an entire generation of children. A recent study looked at more than 86,000 parents and caregivers who received books from the Imagination Library. The study included all five countries where the Imagination Library mails books. It followed the families for one year and compared them to families who did not receive books. The researchers found that the children who had received at least ten books through the program were four times more likely to demonstrate strong early literacy skills. The children were also nine times more likely to be read to by their parents several times per week, making reading a regular family activity.