CRANSTON, RI – For parents “Working 9 to 5,” Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is making it easier for local families to get free children’s books, read with their kids, and prepare them to succeed in school and beyond.

Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed joined Comprehensive Community Action Inc. (CCAP) -- which has teamed up with the Dollywood Foundation as an official Imagination Library partner in Rhode Island – to spread the word about the program, which promotes literacy and early reading by sending free books each month to families in need.

After launching in Dolly Parton’s home county in Tennessee in 1995, the program has rapidly grown and recently expanded beyond the U.S. to Australia, Canada, Ireland and the United Kingdom.

There are currently 119 children in the Cranston area who are participating in the award-winning Imagination Library program, and over 2.5 million children registered worldwide.

Research shows that reading to children during their preschool years gives them a major boost toward a successful education.  The Imagination Library provides free books for children under the age of five to develop a love of learning and literacy at an early age and to set kids on the path to opportunity and success.

“Dolly Parton has inspired generations of Americans and it’s great to see her teaming up with Comprehensive Community Action Inc. to bring the Imagination Library to Rhode Island.  This program helps families build their own children’s libraries and a strong foundation for literacy and learning.  It’s great to get these books directly into the hands of parents and children to own, enjoy, and treasure.  I hope it will help spark a love of reading, creativity, and joy.  Dolly Parton and her father started the Imagination Library to ensure kids today had educational opportunities that folks like her dad never had.  I encourage more Rhode Islanders to participate in the program and take the time to read with their kids,” said Senator Reed, a leading champion of childhood literacy and public libraries. “I salute both Dolly Parton and Comprehensive Community Action Inc. for the incredible work they do to uplift others and make a positive difference.”

“The Dolly Parton Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting program in the world. CCAP is honored to be the local program partner and to have Senator Reed champion this program as he continues to advocate for literacy and early childhood education,” said CCAP Executive Director Joanne McGunagle.

The first monthly book sent out to each child who joins the program is a personalized version of Dolly Parton’s own favorite, The Little Engine That Could, which tells the story of a train engine that uses a positive attitude to overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles to get toys to eager boys and girls on the other side of the mountain.  When a child turns five, they receive a custom version of Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come!

The Imagination Library partners with local nonprofit organizations to bring the program to new communities. Its local partner in Rhode Island, Comprehensive Community Action Inc., is responsible for enrolling children and securing the funding to cover shipping and the cost of the books. 

The Imagination Library negotiates wholesale pricing for the books, provides administrative support, and maintains the book ordering and fulfillment system.  There is no cost to participating families.

Parents or guardians may register online at www.imaginationlibrary.com or fill out a mail-in form.  Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will mail an age-appropriate, high-quality book to each child for free every month until they reach the age of five.  For a child who signs up at birth, that is 60 books - all delivered straight to their mailbox.

According to Dolly Parton’s web site: “When I started the Imagination Library, it was to honor my Daddy. My Daddy was so smart but he felt crippled with the fact that he couldn’t read and write.”

While Parton’s father, Robert Lee Parton, never had a chance to go to school because he had to help his parents make a living for the family, he joined his daughter in launching the program to help others develop a love of reading.

Senator Reed is the author of the Right to Read Act, which would ensure that public schools across the country have fully-stocked and staffed school libraries. The Right to Read Act would address the disparities in access to school library resources by increasing federal investment in literacy by reauthorizing Comprehensive Literacy State Development Grants at $500 million, and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program at $100 million, targeting critical literacy resources in high need communities.

Reed also authored the Prescribe a Book Act, which President Obama signed into law as part of the Every Student Succeeds Act (Public Law 114–95).  Reed’s legislation creates federal grant opportunities for pediatric early literacy initiatives, authorizing competitive funding that could be used to help doctors and nurses provide low-income parents with a children’s book to take home at every wellness visit.