Imagination Library
FAQs
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library puts books into the hands and hearts of children around the world. Imagination Library books are specially selected age-appropriate, high-quality titles. These books are delivered to registered children each month from birth to age five. Each one is personalized with the child’s name and mailed directly to the child’s home.
The first book a child receives is “The Little Engine That Could™” (customized version).
The month a child turns five years old, they will receive “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!” (customized version).
Goodnight With Dolly
“Goodnight With Dolly” features 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 are a mixture of Dolly and the interior pages of the books. The books 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.
What is Imagination Library?
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was established by the famous country singer to instill a love of reading in children throughout the world. Each child who participates receives one free, age-appropriate book through the mail each month, until they turn five. After registering, the first book, “The Little Engine That Could,” will take six to nine weeks to arrive in the mail.
Who is eligible to participate?
All children from birth through age four years and nine months residing in Knott County, Kentucky are eligible to participate. Because it takes up to nine weeks before the first book arrives, children turning five within three months are not eligible. You may not sign up a child without a birth date. There is no income requirement to participate in Imagination Library.
Is Imagination Library really free?
There is no cost to families to participate in Imagination Library. Funding comes from the Dollywood Foundation and generous private donations to support this specific program
How do I sign up?
What is a parent account?
If you provided an email address during registration, a parent account is automatically created for you. Once your child is approved and active in the program, parent account information, including your username and password, is emailed to you. Your username is always your email address. With your parent account, you can do things such as check your child’s enrollment status, edit your address, and view a list of the titles mailed each month. Click here to access your parent account. <https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/parent-information-center/>
How long will it take to get a book?
It will take six to nine weeks before the first book arrives. Books will then continue to be mailed once a month until the child’s fifth birthday.
Can I enroll multiple children?
If there are multiple children under five in a household, each child is eligible to enroll. The Dollywood Foundation switches out 18-20 books each year to ensure children in the same family won’t always get the same books. Please note that twins will receive the same book selection.
Why is my child’s status listed as “pending?”
Registrations received online will be placed into a pending area until the program coordinator reviews the information. Once the registration is approved, the child becomes active in the program, and the parent will receive an email. The accounts of children who have recently moved are flagged and also moved into a pending area until their address is updated. Please note that a child’s status may only remain in the pending area for up to 60 days before being permanently removed from the system. It is important to contact Hindman Settlement School’s Imagination Library program coordinator at info@hindman.org if there is a change of address or to update it via your parent account.
I am moving. How do I change my address?
It is extremely important to remember to contact Hindman Settlement School’s Imagination Library program coordinator to change your address when you move. The books do not follow you, and your child will no longer receive books if the address is not kept current. You may reach our office at info@hindman.org or 606-785-5475. If you provided an email address during registration, you can also change your address through your parent account. Please note that filling out a change of address form at the post office will not change your address with Imagination Library.
What type of books will be mailed?
The first book the child will receive is always “The Little Engine that Could,” and the final book received is always “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come.” Children will be mailed age-appropriate books in between. All books are printed through Penguin Publishing, and reading tips are provided on a flap on the back of each softcover book. View the book list here.
Why did one of my children receive their book this month, while the other did not?
Books may come at different times of the month. Once each of your children has received a first book, each month’s books should arrive by the last day of the month – but not necessarily on the same day.
