Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is Expanding in Washington State

In partnership with United Way of the Pacific Northwest (UWPNW) and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), joined by American icon, Dolly Parton, the Imagination Library of Washington was created to expand Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library book gifting program. The Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting books to children 0-5 years old, free of charge, through funding shared by Dolly Parton and local community partners.

Washington currently has 38 operating affiliates covering portions of the 39 counties within the state, and nearly 49,000 eligible children already receive books through these existing programs.  In partnership with The Dollywood Foundation and this statewide expansion effort, books will be made available to children ages 0-5 years old in every county in Washington State. 

How it Works: Caregivers enroll their child through their county affiliate by filling out an online or print registration form. Once enrolled, a child will receive a free, age-appropriate, brand-new book MAILED TO THEIR HOME every month until their fifth birthday.  

“Timberland Regional LIBRARY is excited to support the expansion of the Imagination Library as it aligns with TRL’s Strategic Direction focusing on expanding services to underserved communities, improving accessibility, supporting early learning initiatives, collaborative partnerships, and outreach”, says TRL Executive Director Cheryl Heywood. 

The Timberland Regional Library system spans 5 counties, 29 branches, and 7,000 square miles. Each county has affiliates for the Imagination Library including: The United Way of Lewis County in partnership with the Lewis County Rotary Foundation, Child Care Action Council (CCAC) for Thurston and Mason Counties, and the United Way of Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties.  

Library patrons can sign their children up for the Imagination Library by filling out a sign-up card at their local library branch, or by signing up online through their local affiliates. See if there is a program in your area at imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability and continue to check as the programs are expanded across the state!  

About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation has gifted well over 167 million free books in Australia, Canada, The Republic of Ireland, United Kingdom and the United States. The Imagination Library mails more than 1.8 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to registered children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading, inspiring them to dream. The impact of the program has been widely researched and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.