A simple gift. A lifetime of literacy.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library allows parents and caregivers to provide the joy of reading to their child while providing opportunities for early childhood development.

United Way of East Central Alabama is proud to partner with the Dollywood Foundation to provide Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to children in Calhoun, Cleburne & Randolph  Counties.

The initiative provides an age appropriate book each month to children from birth to five years of age. The program is free to the family and the child and is open to children ages birth to 5 years living in Calhoun,  Cleburne or Randolph County. 

Studies have proven that children who are read to regularly are more prepared to learn once they reach kindergarten. Studies also show that children benefit from being read to as early as 3 months old. Children are born learning, and their development critically depends on their interaction with loving parents & caregivers. When you open a book, you open a big world for children to learn and explore. Books are filled with colors, shapes, letter, words, and numbers, along with many valuable stories and lessons – all of which are important in preparing for their first day of school. Early childhood literacy has proven to set our children on the right track for success in school and, ultimately, in life.