It's widely known that Dolly Parton launched her Imagination Library in 1995. Inspired by her father's limited education, Dolly was and is dedicated to sharing a love of reading with children everywhere. So she started a book gifting program which mails a free book to enrolled children each month. Over the years, the Imagination Library has celebrated many milestones including the 100th Millionth Book Dedication at the Library of Congress in 2018.
In 2020, the Imagination Library has already seen one record-breaking month back in March and with totals already counted, that record will be broken in September.
In March, new child registrations totaled 77,885. In September of 2020 (because the program runs one month ahead) new child registrations will exceed 78,000. Remember, these are new children registered into the program for a single month. To date, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has gifted 141,840,454 free books to children around the world.
Special thanks to the program's local affiliates who are made up of dedicated individuals, many who volunteer their time, to help bring free books to the children in their communities.
Parents and guardians of children under 5 years old, who have not yet been enrolled in the program, can visit the Imagination Library to check availability.
During the nationwide shutdown, Dolly spent some time creating an online video series dedicated to children and their families. The series, "Goodnight with Dolly" featured weekly readings of specially selected books from the program. Dolly welcomes the viewers and introduces the title, author and illustrator. Snuggled in bed with her Imagination Library book, Dolly shares stories that are just right for this moment in time. The series is a personal gift from Dolly to all families. Free of charge but not free from obligation as the message will be to pass on the love and keep hope alive because we are all "Together, You and I."
This exclusive video series is available free of charge online until August 31, 2020.
Watch "Goodnight With Dolly"
UPDATE: Thank you for watching "Goodnight with Dolly." We hope you enjoyed the read-aloud series and invite you to learn more about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
The Imagination Library has gifted over 138 million free books to children around the world. Learn how to Register A Child or Make A Donation online.
Dolly Parton will close her 10-week bedtime reading series with a special finale episode that includes a tribute to the more than 1700 local organizations that offer her Imagination Library to the children in their community. Since inception in 1995, the Imagination Library through its local affiliates has gifted more than 138 million books to preschool children and is currently gifting books to 1.6 million children around the world each month.
“The local affiliates are the heart and soul of the Imagination Library”, said Parton. “They work hard every day to raise the funds to make sure the books remain free to all of the children enrolled in the program.”
The series began on April 2, 2020 with The Little Engine that Could® and will conclude June 4. The series has been viewed over 15 million times on YouTube, Facebook and other popular social media platforms.
The finale episode features Pass It On written and illustrated by Sophy Henn. This book was specifically selected to end the series because it encourages all children and adults to share their joy, their happiness and their kindness with others.
Dolly Parton said, “I am thrilled this series has meant so much to so many families across the world. I hope our finale episode, ‘Pass It On,’ will be another way for us to transform this moment of hardship into more love and more kindness.”
The finale concludes with the re-release of the trailer for the documentary “The Library That Dolly Built.” The film was scheduled for a nationwide release on April 2, 2020, but was postponed because of the spread of COVID-19. The film will be released in late September of 2020.
Visit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Online
THE LIBRARY THAT DOLLY BUILT, directed and produced by journalism professor and director of Land Grant Films Nick Geidner, and narrated by Danica McKellar, goes behind the scenes of Dolly Parton’s literacy-focused non-profit, Imagination Library, to show how one of the most famous and beloved performers in the world has developed an efficient and effective program for spreading the love of reading. Imagination Library started as a gift for the children in Dolly’s hometown, Sevierville, Tennessee, and is now active in all 50 states, and 5 countries, gifting more than 1.6 million free, age-appropriate books to children every month. The film also provides a glimpse of the profound impact the Imagination Library has on the people through original interviews with authors, policymakers, Imagination Library staff, recipients, and the legend herself, Dolly Parton. Woven throughout the film is a biographical sketch of Dolly Parton, featuring rare photos and films from her childhood. Unlike most biographies of Dolly, it doesn’t focus on her music. Instead, it demonstrates that at every point in her career, any time she has had success, Dolly Parton has come back to Sevierville to give back to her people.
UPDATE: Thank you for watching "Goodnight with Dolly." We hope you enjoyed the read-aloud series and invite you to learn more about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
The Imagination Library has gifted over 138 million free books to children around the world. Learn how to Register A Child or Make A Donation online.
Dollywood and Abramorama in association with The Dollywood Foundation announced today that beginning on Thursday, April 2, at 7:00 PM EDT, Dolly Parton will be reading a children’s book for bedtime in a series entitled “Goodnight with Dolly.” Additionally, the documentary about her Imagination Library "The Library That Dolly Built" will open nationally the week of September 21, to commemorate the Library’s 25th anniversary. Since inception in 1995, the Imagination Library has gifted more than 135 million books to children and is currently gifting books to 1.5 million children around the world each month.
“Goodnight with Dolly” will feature Dolly Parton reading a series of Imagination Library books all carefully chosen for their appropriate content at this moment in time. Dolly welcomes the viewers and introduces the title, author and illustrator. Snuggled in bed with her Imagination Library book, Dolly shares stories that are just right for this moment in time. The readings will be a mixture of Dolly and the interior pages of the books. The books will include “There’s a Hole in the Log on the Bottom of the Lake” by Loren Long, “Llama Llama Red Pajama” by Anna Dewdney, “I Am a Rainbow” by Dolly Parton, “Pass It On” by Sophy Henn, “Stand Tall Molly Lou Mellon” by Patty Lovell, “Violet the Pilot” by Steve Breen, “Max & The Tag-Along Moon” by Floyd Cooper, “Last Stop on Market Street” by Matt de la Peña, “Coat of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton, and of course, “The Little Engine That Could” by Watty Piper.
Once a week for 10 weeks at 7:00 PM EDT, The Book Lady will deliver her story with the program available across the Imagination Library, Dolly Parton, World Choice Investments, and Dollywood channels. The read alongs will be a personal gift from Dolly to all families. Free of charge but not free from obligation as the message will be to pass on the love and keep hope alive because we are all Together, You and I.
Dolly Parton said, “This is something I have been wanting to do for quite a while, but the timing never felt quite right. I think it is pretty clear that now is the time to share a story and to share some love. It is an honor for me to share the incredible talent of these authors and illustrators. They make us smile, they make us laugh and they make us think."
Regarding the film’s release, she adds, “Although it was the right thing to do, postponing the screening of our documentary was a disappointment. So many of our Imagination Library affiliates had organized events around the nationwide screenings, however, things do have a way of working out so the documentary will still have its day.”
Copyright 1976, 1961, 1954, 1945, 1930 by Penguin Random House, LLC. Illustrations copyright 2020 by Penguin Random House, LLC.
Last season, Dollywood officials announced the free Pre-K Imagination Season Pass to celebrate the park’s milestone 35th anniversary season in 2020. With the pass, children born in 2015 or 2016 are able to visit Dollywood absolutely free for the entire 2020 season. Additionally, the pass allows children to splash and play for free during Dollywood’s Splash Country’s 20th anniversary season.
With a high demand for the free pass, Dollywood officials have extended the deadline for children to be registered. Adults now have until March 15 to sign up their children by registering them online at Dollywood.com/Pre-K.
For adults registering their children for the Pre-K Imagination Pass and looking for the best value on their own passes, now is the best time to lock in the best price. Because the Pre-K Pass provides access to both Dollywood and Splash Country, the best option for parents is the Two-Park Super Pass. By purchasing before March 15, parents can take advantage of a six-month payment plan, plus they receive two bring-a-friend free tickets and they save $10 off summer pricing.
The park’s 2020 season features a calendar full of events that make it the perfect year for a season pass. The year begins with international fun during Festival of Nations (March 14-April 20). The biggest names in bluegrass visit during Dollywood’s Barbeque & Bluegrass presented by BUSH’s® (April 24- May 3), while the park’s newest event, Dollywood’s Flower & Food Festival, takes place May 8 –June 14. Summer Celebration (June 20- Aug. 2) features later hours and the return of the Gazillion Bubbles Show.
Dollywood’s Harvest Festival presented by Humana (Sept. 25-Oct. 31) features Southern gospel’s greatest performers alongside the guest-favorite Great Pumpkin LumiNights. Dollywood’s season concludes with the 12-time winner for Best Theme Park Christmas Event, Dollywood’s Smoky Mountain Christmas presented by Humana, Nov. 7, 2020 -Jan. 2, 2021.
Learn more about the free Pre-K Imagination Pass online or call 1-800-DOLLYWOOD.
Producers John Frost and Suzanne Jones are delighted to announce that "9 to 5 THE MUSICAL" is partnering with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to bring the joy of reading to children in need across Australia.
As the official charity partner of the musical production, '9 TO 5 THE MUSICAL' will host a charity performance on Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 PM with the proceeds from 500 ticket sales going directly to the Imagination Library. These funds, plus other fundraising initiatives on the night, will assist the Imagination Library to bring the gift of reading to children all around the country. Dolly Parton said,
“I am thrilled to announce that "9 to 5 The Musical" will be raising funds for a foundation I started 24 years ago and is very close to my heart, The Imagination Library. The program sends out over one million free books each month to children all around the world - I guess that’s why they call me the book lady!”
Producer Suzanne Jones said, “We are thrilled to be collaborating with Imagination Library as our chosen official charity partner on 9 to 5 The Musical. Dolly Parton herself established this charity initiative in the US as a tribute to her father who never learned to read. Her aim was to inspire all children to love to read, and we are looking forward to helping her accomplish that mission here in Australia.”
Clayton Noble, Chief Executive of United Way Australia, said, “We are very excited to be hosting a special charity performance on Thursday, June 18 with proceeds from the ticket sales to go towards supporting families and carers involved in the Imagination Library, and providing the gift of a book each month to children aged 0-5 in many communities across Australia.”
IMAGINATION LIBRARY CHARITY PERFORMANCE
Venue: Sydney Lyric Theatre, The Star
Date: Thursday, June 18, 7.30 PM
Prices: $79.90 (Transaction fees apply)
Book Tickets
* Performance times vary weekly
** Transaction fees apply
