Tennessee lawmakers are pledging to fully fund the state’s share of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, helping ensure children across all 95 counties continue receiving free books each month.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Chairman Bo Watson said they will work to include funding for the program’s local share in Tennessee’s 2027 budget. The announcement comes as Tennesseans reflect on Parton’s legacy and the impact of her Imagination Library, which has provided more than 60 million books to Tennessee children since 2004.
Today, about 270,000 Tennessee children are enrolled in the program. Children from birth through age 5 receive a high-quality, age-appropriate book in the mail every month at no cost to their families.
“Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is one of Tennessee’s greatest gifts to the next generation,” Sexton said. “There is no better way to honor her extraordinary legacy than to ensure every single Tennessee child, in every county and in every community, continues to have access to the Imagination Library for generations to come.”
Watson said early literacy remains a top priority and praised Parton for helping children develop a love of reading.
“Dolly Parton has always been a pioneer in the movement to improve children’s lives through books and reading,” Watson said.
Parton launched the Imagination Library in Sevier County in 1995, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write. The program was built around a simple idea: give young children books of their own and encourage them to dream, learn and read.
Tennessee was the first state in the nation to make the Imagination Library available statewide. The Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation helped expand the program to all 95 counties in 2004, creating a partnership that has continued for more than two decades.
The program operates through a public-private partnership involving the Dollywood Foundation, the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, the state and local partners in each county.
The Dollywood Foundation handles book selection, purchasing and delivery. GELF currently covers 50% of book and mailing costs with state support, while local partners raise the remaining 50%, enroll children and promote the program in their communities.
The proposal would allow the state to cover the program’s remaining local costs beginning with the 2027 budget.
James Pond, president and CEO of the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, said the partnership has helped generations of Tennessee children grow up with books in their homes.
“More than 60 million books later, generations of Tennessee children have grown up with books in their homes because of that simple idea,” Pond said.
The Imagination Library is available to eligible Tennessee children from birth through age 5. Families can enroll their children at no cost.
Tennessee families and community members can continue supporting the Imagination Library in several ways.
- Enroll a child: Tennessee children from birth through age 5 can receive a free book every month. Enroll a child in the Imagination Library
- Donate: Donations can help provide books and support the program in communities across Tennessee. Donate to support Tennessee’s Imagination Library
- Read together: Families can build on the program’s impact by making time to read with children and explore other early-literacy resources through Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation
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