Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Comes to Warrenville

We are proud to partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library—a remarkable early literacy program that puts books into the hands and hearts of children across the world. The Imagination Library is dedicated to inspiring a love of reading by gifting free books to children from birth to age five.

How Does the Imagination Library Work?

Once a child is enrolled, they receive one high-quality, age-appropriate book in the mail every month—at no cost to families—until their fifth birthday. If started at birth, during five years a child could receive 60 books, which is a great start to building a personal library and a lifelong love of reading!

The Dollywood Foundation selects the books for the program. Parents can choose to receive books in English or bilingual English/Spanish.

How to Enroll

Parents or caregivers can enroll in English or Spanish online or at the library.

• Sign up online at imaginationlibrary.com.
• Complete a form, then mail or bring it the library.
• Complete a paper enrollment form available at our Youth Services Desk. Library staff will submit completed forms on your behalf.

Once enrolled, books are mailed directly to your home. The first book will arrive in 8–12 weeks.

The Imagination Library Supports our Early Literacy Mission

Having books at home plays a crucial role in early childhood development, as children associate reading with snuggling up for bedtime stories, discovering favorite characters and hearing stories read aloud again and again. The monthly book deliveries from DPIL will spark an interest in having more books…a child who loves a story about animals may want to find more animal books or might ask for “another book just like this one.” That excitement naturally leads families to make more trips to the library, where children can find similar titles, attend storytimes and continue growing their reading skills.

All books received through Dolly Parton Imagination Library can be counted in our 1,000 Books and More Before Kindergarten reading challenge—a great program in which kids earn gifts and prizes to keep them engaged as they work towards the goal. By combining DPIL with 1,000 Books and More Before Kindergarten, Warrenville families are giving their children a strong foundation for school readiness.

If you have a child under age five, we invite you to enroll today in both Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and our 1,000 Books and More Before Kindergarten program. Tracking is easy:

• Each DPIL book counts as one book, or more, if it’s reread!
• Parents can log these books just like any other book read at home or borrowed from the library, using a paper reading log or online with the Beanstack website or Beanstack mobile app.

How the Program Is Funded

As part of the Winfield Township library cohort which includes Winfield Library and West Chicago Library, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is made possible through a collaboration of agencies and private donations, including:

• The Dollywood Foundation, founded by Dolly Parton, which oversees the program nationwide. They select the books, manage administration and handle all mailing details.
• The State of Illinois contributes half of the local sponsorship cost.
• Local partners fund the cost of the books and mailing. In our area, this role is coordinated by KidsMatter, a local 501(c)(3) organization.
• We are especially fortunate to have a generous donor, The Hillcrest Fund, helping cover Warrenville’s local share of the cost.

We are grateful for the efforts by the coordinators in these organizations for their commitment to bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to our area.

Questions?

If you would like more information about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, stop by or call our Youth Services Desk at 630/393-1171 x124.