Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has come to Central Indiana! If you have a child under 5 years old, they are eligible to receive free books monthly until kindergarten! The books are selected by literacy experts and take into consideration children’s developmental needs, age, and themes based on diversity, culture, self-esteem, and confidence. Get your child started on their literacy journey today!
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is the flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, the nonprofit organization she founded in 1988. Since 1995, Dolly Parton has been gifting a free book each month to children from birth to five years old. The Imagination Library has served over 3 million children and has given away over 250 million books and now this program is available to many central Indiana communities.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library humbly began because of Dolly Parton’s love of her father who lacked the ability to read or write. She often claimed that he was the smartest man she ever knew, but his inability to read kept him from fulfilling all his dreams. Because of that, Dolly was determined to share the love of reading with children. “Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done. I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy.”
Dolly could not have had the amount of success with the Imagination Library without the contributions from The Dollywood Foundation and from all the dedication and generosity of local Imagination Library partners and sponsors who help cover the cost of wholesale books and postage in their communities, and who raise awareness and enrolls children into the program. “The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organizations who have embraced my dream and made it their own. They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed.”
The only thing that is asked in return for the books is that they are read as often as possible. In the hopes that every book brings joy to the entire family because Dolly believes that if you love books, you will love learning.
Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More
Dolly Parton hopes that with the books children receive, they are inspired to “Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More.”
No matter the age when a child is enrolled into the program, the first book that they will receive will be “The Little Engine That Could” and their last will be “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!”
“The Little Engine That Could” is the first book to inspire children that they can overcome obstacles by believing in themselves and the program ends when a child turns 5. The last book they get will be “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!” to get children excited for their next stage of being in school and to encourage them to continue their literacy journey.
After a child receives their first book, every book after will be age-appropriate. The books are selected by early childhood literacy experts of the Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee who take into consideration children’s developmental needs, age, and themes based on diversity, culture, self-esteem, and confidence. All books are published by Penguin Random House.
Program Eligibility
To be eligible for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library the child must meet the age requirement as being under the age of 5 and live in an area that has a sponsored program. In Central Indiana, Boone, Hancock, Hendricks, Johnson, Marion, and Morgan Counties all have communities that participate in the program.
Boone County
Imagination Library sponsored by Friends of the Thorntown Public Library
124 N Market Street, Thorntown
Imagination Library sponsored by Lebanon Public Library
104 E Washington Street, Lebanon
Eligible zip codes/cities that participate in the Imagination Library in Boone County:
46071 Thorntown
46102 Advance
46147 Jamestown
46052 Lebanon
46052 Ulen
Hamilton County
Currently doesn’t participate in the Imagination Library.
Hancock County
Imagination Library sponsored by Hancock County Public Library
900 W Mckenzie Road, Greenfield
Eligible zip codes/cities that participate in the Imagination Library in Hancock County:
46040 Fishers
46040 Fortville
46055 Fishers
46055 Mccordsville
46055 Woodbury
46056 Markleville
46064 Pendleton
46115 Carthage
46117 Charlottesville
46129 Carrollton
46129 Finly
46130 Fountaintown
46140 Eden
46140 Gem
46140 Greenfield
46140 Spring Lake
46148 Knightstown
46154 Maxwell
46161 Morristown
46163 Brookville Heights
46163 New Palestine
46186 Warrington
46186 Wilkinson
46186 Willow Branch
46229 Indianapolis
46235 Indianapolis
47384 Shirley
Hendricks County
Imagination Library sponsored by Imagination Library of Hendricks County
Brownsburg Public Library, 450 S Jefferson Street, Brownsburg
Eligible zip codes/cities that participate in the Imagination Library in Hendricks County:
46052 Lebanon
46103 Amo
46112 Brownsburg
46113 Camby
46118 Belleville
46118 Clayton
46121 Coatesville
46122 Danville
46123 Avon
46147 Jamestown
46149 Lizton
46158 Mooresville
46165 North Salem
46167 Pittsboro
46168 Cartersburg
46168 Plainfield
46180 Stilesville
46197 Plainfield
46231 Indianapolis
46234 Indianapolis
Johnson County
Imagination Library sponsored by Imagination Library of Johnson County
600 Walnut Street, Franklin
Eligible zip codes/cities that participate in the Imagination Library in Johnson County:
46106 Bargersville
46106 Providence
46124 Camp Atterbury
46124 Edinburgh
46131 Amity
46131 Bengal
46131 Franklin
46131 Hopewell
46131 Urmeyville
46142 Greenwood
46160 Morgantown
46162 Needham
46164 Nineveh
46164 Princess Lakes
46181 Peoga
46181 Samaria
46181 Spearsville
46181 Trafalgar
46184 New Whiteland
46184 Whiteland
Marion County
Imagination Library sponsored by Shepherd Community INC
4107 E Washington Street, Indianapolis
Eligible zip codes/cities that participate in the Imagination Library in Marion County:
46201 Indianapolis
46203 Indianapolis
Morgan County
Imagination Library sponsored by Artie Fest
PO BOX 1095, Martinsville
Imagination Library sponsored by Morgan County Public Library Foundation
110 S Jefferson Street, Martinsville
Eligible zip codes/cities that participate in the Imagination Library in Morgan County:
46111 Brooklyn
46113 Camby
46125 Eminence
46151 Bethany
46151 Centerton
46151 Lake Edgewood
46151 Paradise Lake
46151 Waverly
46157 Monrovia
46158 Mooresville
46160 Morgantown
46166 Paragon
“The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” -Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is such a blessing to children who may not be able to afford new books to keep, whose parents may not have time to get to the library regularly, and who may not yet have developed a love for reading. Check to see if you are eligible for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and learn more about the program here.
Unsure of how to get your child to read out loud or to be interested in reading at all? Head to your local library and have them read to a therapy dog! They can even pet them while they read. It’s a wonderful way to engage your child in reading and gaining confidence in reading out loud.
FREE SUMMER READING PROGRAMS AT LOCAL LIBRARIES
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