Quietly, steadily, and rather impressively over the dolly parton imagination library 20-plus years, Dolly Parton — yes, that Dolly Parton — has been making sure that the nightstands of babies, toddlers, and preschoolers all over the U. At last count, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library mails books to more than 1. Here are ten fun facts about the organization: Any child in the U. Any child qualifies, regardless of income. To date, there are 1,884 local organizations, working in 9,427 communities around the world. There are also programs in the U. In each age group, two titles are bilingual Spanish and English. Almost every child of the same age will receive the same books each year, and many of the books come with discussion guides for parents or caregivers. The Imagination Library partners with the American Printing House for the Blind to provide books in Braille as well. In 2018 alone, the Imagination Library will have mailed 15,208,335 books for the year, which translates to one book being mailed every two seconds. Every child, no matter their age, starts with the same book. The book also comes with a personal message from Dolly Parton about the importance of reading. Every child receives the same final book. The most popular books by far in the Imagination Library come from the series, says Roberts, who reads each and every piece of parent feedback. But readers are sure to find some surprises in the lineup as well. Meg Miles, whose daughter Macey, now five years old, was part of the Imagination Library program in Williston, North Dakota, for several years, already had a home full of books. As a preschool teacher and mother of two older children, reading, and books had always been top priority — the Imagination Library just made it even better. Photo courtesy of Imagination Library The titles change each year. Roughly a quarter of the books in dolly parton imagination library program shift each year to make room for new titles and topics. The selection process involves educators, reading specialists, and early childhood professionals poring over hundreds of titles to select up to 70 books for the coming year, from birth through age five. Together, they look for developmentally appropriate books that hew to these core values: a love of reading and learning; regard for diversity of people, their roles, cultures, and environments; promotion of self-esteem and confidence; and appreciation of art and aesthetics. As of November 2018, the Imagination Library has sent out 112,406,659 books and counting. Back in 1995, Dolly Parton simply wanted to help the kids in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she was born. Since then, Tennessee became the first state to have children in all 96 of its counties participating in the Imagination Library. Robert Lee Parton could neither read nor write; he started working at a young age and never went to school. His story — and struggle — inspired Dolly to something more for the kids of East Tennessee, and eventually all over the English-speaking world.
