Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books free of charge to children from birth to age five, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and Republic of Ireland.
How did the program start?
In 1995, Dolly created her Imagination Library in Sevier County, Tennessee. This monthly book gifting program for children under the age of five was originally designed to inspire a love of reading and learning for all preschool children in the county. What was founded as a local program became such a success that in 2000 a national replication effort was underway, and by 2003 Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had mailed one million books.
In 2026, 1 out of every 6 children under the age of five in the USA received an Imagination Library book from Dolly each month and over 3 million books per month are mailed internationally.
How are the books free?
There must be a nonprofit partner who makes the program available to children in their community. DPIL here is under Whitefield’s Official Library Friends (WOLF). They and Library Director Courtney Vashaw worked tirelessly to find sponsors and bring DPIL to children in northern Grafton and Coos counties. Sponsors pay for the postage each month; DPIL funds the books and program administration.
How do I enroll my child?
Use the QR code and follow the prompts OR go directly to our page for online registration:
What happens next?
In 6-8 weeks, your child will receive their first, brand-new book, picked just for them! Books will arrive monthly until your child’s 5th birthday.
Interested in helping with postage?
For just $2.60 a month—about $30 a year—one child in the North Country receives a free, age-appropriate book every month through DPIL.
Any amount helps. Your gift stays local and supports early literacy for children ages 0–5. 2026 is fully funded, and continued sponsorships keep books coming in the years ahead.
Click to go to WOLF’S PayPal page
