Parton's Imagination Library Inspires Love of Reading

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting free, high-quality books each month to children from birth to age five. It is available across Montana.

Parents or guardians can register their children online by filling out a brief form at http://www.imaginationlibrary.com. There is no charge to register or receive the books. Age-appropriate books are then mailed directly to registered children's homes each month, starting about six to 10 weeks after their registration is received. The first book distributed is always the children’s classic “The Little Engine That Could.”

Last June, First Lady Gianforte joined Dolly Parton in announcing the statewide expansion of Imagination Library in Montana. This expansion means books are now free to children ages birth to five years old in every county in Montana, regardless of the families’ income. Montana’s Imagination Library has 63 local program partners serving nearly 23,500 children.

The program’s unique funding structure centers on local community partnerships and partnerships from the Treasure State Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2021 by First Lady Susan Gianforte to ensure future First Spouses in Montana can promote the public good with their causes. The Treasure State Foundation is assisting local programs with funding.

The program's impact has been widely researched, and results suggest positive increases in early language and math development. A love of books and reading offers a foundation for literacy skills that prepare children for future success. Parents reading to their children from birth improves a child’s future reading ability.

Imagination Library was started by Dolly Parton in 1995 to distribute books to the impoverished Tennessee county where she grew up. Since then, the nonprofit program has expanded into five countries. Montana is the sixteenth U.S. state to commit to achieving statewide.