Dolly Parton Imagination Library
There’s something special about seeing a child’s name on a package in the mail. Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, children from birth to age five can receive a new, age-appropriate book at home each month, at no cost to their families.
United Way of Danville Area helps bring this program to children in Vermilion County, Illinois, and Fountain and Warren counties, Indiana.
How it works:
A parent or guardian completes the registration form.
03 Read Together
Make each new book part of your family’s story time.
01 Sign Up Your Child
A book addressed to your child arrives each month.
02 Watch the mailbox.
Who can sign up?
Children under age five who live in Vermilion County, Illinois, or Fountain or Warren County, Indiana, are eligible. There is no cost to your family.
Already enrolled?
If your family moves, please update your address so your child can keep receiving books. For help with your registration or book delivery, contact United Way of Danville Area at 217-442-3512 or ceo@unitedwayda.org.
Community Resources
Parent & Caregiver Resources
Discover how Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library works and how to make the most of each book that arrives. This guide offers simple ideas for reading together, from asking questions about the story to revisiting favorite books.
Research on DPIL
Explore what research has found about the program’s impact on families and early literacy. This resource highlights findings on books in the home, reading habits, children’s interest in reading, and emerging literacy skills.
For Funders & Policymakers
Learn how local support helps make free books possible for children and families. This resource explains the program’s funding model and offers ways community leaders can help expand its reach.
Program Overview
Get to know the story behind Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, how books are selected and mailed, and the partners who bring the program to local communities. It’s a useful starting point for anyone who wants to understand the program.
Thank You to our Sponsors!
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
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Dear Friends,
Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I have ever done. I can't tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy. He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart that his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.
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 2 million children.
Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heros of our story are the thousands of local organizations like United Way of Danville Area, Inc who have embraced my dream and made it it their own. They raise thousands of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed.
I hope these books inspire you to read with your child. There is nothing quite like snuggling up with a good book - just like when my Momma read to me in her lap in our tiny one-bedroom cabin many years ago.
- Dolly
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It sounds almost too simple to be true, but by reading regularly with your children during their preschool years, you are giving them the biggest boost toward a successful education they will ever get.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library can help your child love to read just by having print books at home, reading yourself, and setting aside time daily for your children to read. Every child will have books of their very own, at no cost to you, thanks to United Way of Danville Area, Inc, and Dolly Parton. Each month a new, carefully selected book will be mailed in your child's name directly to your home.
Your child can look forward to new and exciting reading adventures from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library until they turn five years old as long as you live within the covered geographic area.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a free gift to your child! All you have to do is read often to inspire a lifelong love of reading.
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Children under the age of five who live in Vermilion County, IL, Fountain County, IN, or Warren County, IN.
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Eight to ten weeks after your registration form has been received, books will begin arriving at your home and will continue until your child turns five or you move out of the covered area.
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Be a resident of Vermilion County, IL, Fountain County, IN, or Warren County, IN.
Submit an official registration form, completely filled out by an authorized parent/guardian.
Click here for Registration Form or fill out the online webform below.
Mail forms to 801 W. Fairchild St., Danville, IL or email forms to ceo@unitedwayda.org.
Notify United Way of Danville Area, Inc. any time your address changes or update your address online. Books are mailed to the address listed on the account. Note: If the child's address changes, you must update the address in order to continue receiving books.
Read with your child and have fun!
Questions? Please contact ceo@unitedwayda.org or call 217-442-3512.
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Do you know a child under the age of five in the United Way of Danville Area, Inc. service area? Give their caregiver a registration form and encourage them to fill it out. Tell them about this free-to-the-family program that can make a huge difference in their future. If you know of a business, organization or individual who would like to donate funds to support this program in your local area, donations can be sent to:
Donation Address:
United Way of Danville Area, Inc.
801 W. Fairchild St., Danville IL 61832
www.unitedwayda.com

