Imagination Library was founded by Dolly Parton in 1996 to provide free books to the children in her home county in eastern Tennessee. Since then, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has mailed 25 million books to children in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Many United Way’s across the country have embraced Imagination Library as a wonderful enhancement to their Early Learning initiatives.
United Way of Knox County has been offering the Dolly Parton Imagination Library book program to Knox County Children since June, 2010. Free age-appropriate books are provided through the mail each month until the child's 5th birthday. Register online and begin receiving books within 8 weeks.
Through our Early Learning Initiative, we are committed to providing books and early learning opportunities to Knox County children. Quality early learning reduces crime rates, teen pregnancy, welfare dependency, job training costs, special education costs, and grade repetition, while it increases success in school, graduation rates, workforce readiness, job productivity, and community engagement. Each month almost 1,950 Knox County children receive an Imagination Library book delivered right to their home! Knox County children have received over 195,566 free age-appropriate books since June 2010.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is an Education Initiative of United Way of Knox County with generous support from: AMVETS Ladies Auxiliary Post 95, Ariel Corporation, Ariel Foundation, Central Ohio Technical College, First-Knox National Bank, Kenyon College, Joe and Krys Mortellaro, Kiwanis of Mount Vernon, Knox Community Foundation, Knox County Board of DD, Mount Vernon Nazarene University, Mount Vernon Rotary Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Brian Huprich, Psi Iota Xi Sorority, Sara Mankins – Edward Jones Financial Advisor, The Energy Cooperative, and Knox County parents and grandparents.