Arkansas Imagination Library
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONSHave You Moved?
Have you moved or do you have questions about your book delivery? Below are commonly asked questions and answers about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. If you have additional questions, please reach out to your county’s Local Program Partner for assistance.
What is Arkansas Imagination Library in Arkansas?
Arkansas Imagination Library is a 501(c)3 nonprofit and licensed partner of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Our mission is to increase literacy in Arkansas by ensuring all young children across the state may participate in the Imagination Library program. Arkansas Imagination and our local partners mail kids one free book each month until their 5th birthday. Any child in Arkansas between birth and age 5 is eligible for the program, which is available at no cost to families.
How do I update my child's address?
Have you moved or do you have questions about your book delivery? The easiest way to update your child’s address, so you keep receiving your monthly book, is to log into the Dolly Parton Imagination Library Parent Portal. Step by step instructions on using the Parent Portal are HERE.
If you are having trouble logging in, or do not have access to the Parent Portal, please contact your Local Program Partner for assistance.
If you have questions about your book delivery, please contact your Local Program Partner. Keep in mind, it typically takes 8-12 weeks after registering for the first book to arrive in the mail.
I was told my local Imagination Library is not enrolling children because of lack of funds. Why doesn’t Dolly do something about this or just give them the money they need to keep this program going?
The Imagination Library program in Arkansas is made possible through funding shared by Dolly Parton, Arkansas Imagination Library, and local communities. While Dolly and the Dollywood Foundation cover many overhead costs and administration needs, the local programs secure the funding for 50% of the cost of books and postage for all children in their county/region. Arkansas Imagination Library covers the other 50% of the cost of books and postage for all enrolled children in Arkansas.
Arkansas Imagination Library partners with 47 local organizations across the state to cover the total book and mailing cost for every enrolled child ($26.20 per child, per year). All other administrative expenses (overhead, selection of books, database, publisher negotiations, and fulfillment of the over 3.2 million books mailed monthly into 5 countries) are covered by Dolly and the Foundation. By having the overhead expenses covered, all of the money raised locally goes straight back into the community and allows more children to receive books each month.
The Imagination Library has additional information and an overview of this model on our website: https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/. If you have any additional questions or want to learn more about how you can support your local program, please contact your Local Program Partner.
When will my child receive their first book?
It will take 8-12 weeks for your child to receive their first book. After that, they should receive a new book each month until their fifth birthday.
How do I sign up my child?
You can sign up on the Imagination Library website at: https://imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/. Enrolling is easy and takes less than 5 minutes to complete!
I’m expecting our baby in 6 months, when can I sign them up?
Congratulations! You can sign your baby up as soon as they are born! In many hospitals across Arkansas, you can enroll you newborn right at the hospital!
Can siblings or twins under 5 years old each sign up?
Yes! You can (and should) sign up each of your children!
When Dolly Parton first created the Imagination Library, she wanted to make sure that all children were able to experience the same special feeling of receiving a monthly book in the mail.
As a parent, do I have to pay for the program?
No, this program comes at no cost to all families across Arkansas thanks to financial support from the Arkansas Department of Education, Arkansas Imagination Library, nonprofits who serve as local program partners, and generous donors across the state.
Do all children receive the same books?
Each child within an age group receives the same monthly book.
We make sure children receive an appropriate book by allocating them to an age group based on their year of birth. For example, children born in 2024 will receive board books with minimal text focusing on nurture and attachment, whereas a child born in 2019 will receive a softcover picture book, covering more complex concepts. A child enrolled from birth to their fifth birthday will build their own home library of up to 60 books. Learn more on the Imagination Library website: https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/themes-concepts/
All books within the program are age-appropriate and are selected by early childhood experts. More information about Dolly’s Blue Ribbon Book Committee can be found at www.imaginationlibrary.com and select “Choosing Our Books under your country’s menu.
Every child receives the same welcome book, regardless of age – The Little Engine That Could – and the following month the age-appropriate titles will start to arrive.
Braille and Audio Options
American Printing House (APH) selects six titles from the current Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library collection that are most appropriate for children with visual impairment. Children will receive a braille/ print book in the mail at no cost to their family every other month.
For more information, please visit: aph.org/braille-tales. The application on this page is required to be completed prior to receiving books.
Audio Imagination Library books are also available to children. These books may only be played on a digital playback device loaned from the National Library Service (NLS) or another device approved by the NLS.
For more information, please visit: aph.org/imagination-library-collaboration/.