United Ways of the Pacific Northwest (UWPNW), in partnership with Washington State Department of Children, Youth, & Families and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) have teamed up with world-class super star and philanthropist, Dolly Parton, to expand Dolly Parton's Imagination Library throughout every county in Washington. Washington has 46 operating local program partners covering the 39 counties across the state.

Dolly Parton created the Imagination Library in 1995 as a tribute to her father, whose inability to read and write lead her to inspiring children around the world with the delivery of a free, high quality book mailed to children from the day they are born until their fifth birthday, at no cost to a family. 

We believe investing in our youngest Washingtonian's literacy opportunities yields the greatest return. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is the #1 early literacy program in the nation, proven to achieve equitable access to books, increase school readiness, foster a love of books and improve family engagement in reading. This quality, turn-key program provides monthly books at no cost to families, building a rich home library and promotes a culture of reading and connection. Our goal is to expand and reach all Washington children ages birth up to five years old, providing them with this powerful early learning tool.

How the Imagination Library Works   

Once your child is enrolled through the affiliate in your zip code, they will receive a free, age-appropriate, brand new book MAILED TO THEIR HOME every month until their fifth birthday. Countless parents have shared how excited their child is when their new book arrives each month. Many groups and individuals work hard behind the scenes to make that special moment possible for each child.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library provides the infrastructure of the core program, including managing the secure central database for the Book Order System and coordinating book selections and wholesale purchasing. It also incurs the cost of the program’s administrative expenses and coordinates the monthly mailings.