Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - United Way of Central Florida

DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY

Imagination Library provides children with a free new book every month through their fifth birthday.

Dolly Parton started Imagination Library in 1995 to fight illiteracy in her eastern Tennessee community. Research shows that disadvantaged children come to school years behind their peers in pre-reading skills, and rarely catch up, and that the children still struggling to read in 3rd grade are the ones who eventually drop out.

Evaluations indicate that Imagination Library is getting kids more interested in reading, as well as, getting parents more comfortable reading to their children.

Children are mailed an age-appropriate book directly to their homes each month to build their own private library. Only 2 out of 10 low-income children in Polk County enter Kindergarten ready to read. For that reason, low-income sites are targeted when enrolling children.

Local sponsors currently include the Friends of the Bartow Library, Bartow Rotary, Lake Wales Library Association, Florida’s Natural Growers Foundation and Lakeland Elks Lodge 1291.

The program is currently available for all of Polk, Hardee and Highlands counties. The average sponsorship cost per child in Polk County is only $2.50 per month and a $3,000 sponsorship provides 100 children with one book per month for a full year!

In fiscal year 2023/24, 25,844 books were mailed to children!

“Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over 3 million children.”

– Dolly Parton

For questions or to get involved, please email imaginationlibrary@uwcf.org.

To register a child follow the instructions at ImaginationLibrary.com.

To inquire about sponsorship opportunities, contact Amber Qureshi at 863.648.1500 ext. 228 or send an email to amber.qureshi@uwcf.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library?

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails free, high-quality books to children from birth until age 5.

How does it work?

Children in participating communities can enroll in the program from the day they are born. Once they’re signed up, they receive a new, age-appropriate book through the mail each month until their fifth birthday. For a child to be eligible, their community must have a local sponsor committed to covering the cost of the books and mailing. In our service area, children who live in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee are currently eligible to register for the program. However, the number of children who may enroll is limited by the amount of funding available.

Who can receive books?

Any child, under the age of 5 who lives in Polk, Highlands, and Hardee is eligible to receive books. However, funding is limited. A waiting list will be instituted when enrollment reaches capacity.

How long does it take to receive my child’s first book once I have received the email that my child has been enrolled?

It can take up to 8-10 weeks after being enrolled to receive your child’s first book. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library processes the books up to 2 months before mailing them because Penguin Books USA prints books specifically for this program every month. Because the national organization is so large, it takes a little while to get new addresses into their system. But once you get the first book, a new book will come regularly every month until your child’s 5th birthday.

I’m pregnant. Can I add my unborn child to the waiting list?

Yes. Just register with your due date and then contact us when the baby is born with their actual birth date.

I have twins. Will they receive the same book every month?

Yes. Instead of receiving two identical books every month, most families with twins opt to enroll both children as one participant. We can put both children’s names on the mailing label, so they will receive the gift together each month. This allows United Way of Central Florida to enroll an additional child (or one from the waiting list) to receive the second book.

I don’t live Polk, Highlands, and Hardee County. Can I sign my child up to receive books?

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library registrations are handled by local affiliates who serve specified areas. Visit www.imaginationlibrary.com and enter your zip code to find out if there is a local affiliate serving your county/community.

My family is moving to a new address. Will my child continue to receive books from the Imagination Library?

As long as you and your family will still reside in Polk, Highlands, or Hardee, your child can continue to receive books from the Imagination Library program. You must change your mailing address in the Parent Section of the national website for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. If you don’t remember your log-in information, the website provides information about how to have it sent to you. Also, please visit the United States Post Office and notify them of your new address.

What if I’m moving outside of the service area?

If you’re moving out of the Polk, Highlands, and Hardee area, you may still continue to receive books if your new zip code is part of a currently operating area. If you move into an area where there is not a community partner sponsoring Imagination Library, your child will no longer receive books.

I’ve received notification that my child is on a waiting list. Why?

Once we’ve reached maximum capacity based on available funding, we add children to a waiting list. To keep the waiting list as equitable as possible, we add children based on enrollment date.

How much do the books cost and who pays for the books?

There is no cost to the families who receive books. To cover the cost of books and mailing, funds are donated by our generous community, through businesses and individual donations. Anyone can donate!

How can the community help prevent or reduce the number of children on the waiting list?

As with any program, funding and resources are limited. First, we ask for your generous financial support. It only costs $30 to support a child’s participation in Imagination Library for a year or $150 to support a child from birth to age 5. Donations can be made payable to United Way of Central Florida, memo – Imagination Library by check or you may donate online here.

In Local News:

Family Celebrates Books!

For more information about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, visit the official web site

Our Mission

To inspire our community to give, advocate and volunteer by identifying needs and mobilizing vetted resources to create positive, local change.

Our Vision

To unite our community and empower everyone to achieve their full potential.

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PO Box 1357,
Highland City, FL 33846

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863.648.1500

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5605 US Highway 98 S.
Lakeland, FL 33812

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