Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has reached significant milestones, celebrating not only over 30 years of promoting early childhood literacy worldwide, but also new research shows early literacy wins for children in five countries.

 

New groundbreaking research¹ - the largest dataset ever conducted on shared book reading - reaffirms that Dolly Parton's Imagination Library significantly strengthens early literacy skills for children across the five countries, reinforcing the power of shared reading in the earliest years of life.

 

   Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, no matter their family’s income.

 

   Established in 1995 in Sevier County, Tennessee, the program has expanded to deliver over 3 million books monthly to children across five countries, including the United States and Canada.

 

   Recent research underscores the program's effectiveness in enhancing early literacy skills.

 

   In the United States, children enrolled in the program are 11 times more likely to show interest in books and 15 times more likely to participate during shared reading sessions compared to their peers not in the program.

 

   Similarly, in Canada, participating children are 13 times more likely to be read to four or more days per week and 11 times more likely to initiate shared reading.

 

   These findings highlight the program's role in fostering positive family reading habits and creating a nurturing home literacy environment.

 

   As the program continues to grow, it remains dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by providing free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, regardless of family income.

 

   This commitment ensures that more children have the opportunity to develop strong literacy skills, setting the foundation for lifelong learning and success.

 

   To find out more about the program and check availability in your area, visit the Imagination Library's website