Imagination Library of Washington

"You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children." - Dolly Parton

United Ways of the Pacific Northwest (UWPNW), in partnership with Washington State Dept. of Children, Youth, & Families (DCYF) and the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) are proud to bring Dolly Parton’s magical book-gifting program to all children from birth to age five in Washington! 

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was established in 1995 in Dolly’s home county of Sevier County, Tennessee, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write. Dolly says that her father was the smartest man she ever knew, but she knew in her heart that his inability to ready probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams. Inspiring kids to love to read soon became her mission, and now more than 232 million books have been gifted to little ones across the world. The Imagination Library’s core mission is simple - mailing a high quality, age-appropriate book to children from birth up to age five, at no cost to the family. 

Washington’s statewide Imagination Library program came to life in 2022, as legislation was passed to officially create the Imagination Library of Washington. Washington was the 11th state nationwide to become a statewide partner with The Dollywood Foundation. Across the state, Washington boasts 46 local program partners who manage programs and register children daily for free books from the Imagination Library.

We believe investing in our youngest Washingtonian's literacy opportunities yields the greatest return. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a world-class program, proven to achieve equitable access to books, increase school readiness, foster a love of books and improve family engagement in reading. Our goal is to keep putting books into the hands and hearts of all early learners in Washington, gifting them with this powerful early learning tool.

One Washington parent stated, “my daughter (3 years old) LOVES checking the mail and gets excited when a new book arrives. She now sits and "reads" them to her baby sister (who is also newly signed up to receive books). I appreciate this program very much. Thank you!”

Although the monthly books are free to families, it is not free to the community. Each book is $2.20. Each Local Program Partner pays 50% of each book each month in their assigned county or counties, totaling $1.10. Imagination Library of Washington then provides a 50% match to help leverage the cost of books and mailing, which ensures the program remains at no cost to all Washington families.

Dolly's Visit to Washington

Imagination Library of Washington welcomed legendary American icon Dolly Parton to the state of Washington on Tuesday, August 15, 2023 in celebration of achieving statewide coverage of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. The celebratory event was held at the Pantages Theater in Tacoma, with over 800 supporters and local program partners in attendance. 

To watch the momentous event, click here: Washington's Statewide Summer Celebration with legendary icon Dolly Parton