Imagination Library

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 Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

What is Imagination Library?

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that gifts free books to children from birth to age five in participating communities within the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Republic of Ireland.

Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write Dolly started her Imagination Library in 1995 to benefit the children within her home county 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.  Today, her program spans five countries and gifts over 1 million free books each month to children around the world.

When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.

The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.

Every 0 through 5-year-old child living in St. Clair County is eligible to register for Imagination Library.

Once your child is enrolled, he or she will receive one book per month until his/her fifth birthday.  Each child will receive the first book in the mail approximately 10-12 weeks after enrollment. The books children receive are specifically chosen by a panel of early childhood specialists and are determined by the Imagination Library Program.

  • Register your child.
  • Read with your child!

If you live in St. Clair County and have a child between the ages of 0 and 5 years old, you can call (810) 455-4015 or register online.

The Imagination Library in St. Clair County is funded through St. Clair County RESA, United Way of St. Clair County, and other local donors. The program costs approximately $25 per child per year. That is just over $2 a book. If you would like to help keep this program going and "Sponsor a Child" with a $25 donation through United Way of St. Clair County, please click here.  Your donation will help bring literacy to the lives of children all over the county.

  • $25 gives one child a book a month for one year.
  • $125 gives one child a book a month for five years.