Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Brings Books to Illinois

The state of Illinois will be the first statewide government to sign on with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program. Created by Parton in 1995 through her Dollywood Foundation to provide books for pre-schoolers in her home county in Tennessee, the Imagination Library mails a new book each month to every child in an affiliate community from birth to 5 years old. The first book is presented to the family as they leave the hospital with the new baby. The foundation supplies a developed infrastructure system and works with “local champions” to fund the purchase and shipping of the books. There are now 260 communities from 34 states enrolled in the program.