Half a Million Reasons to Love Dolly Parton in Cedar Rapids

Dolly Parton will always be known for her contributions to country music. But Parton is beloved for her generosity and charity, none bigger than the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, a program that gets books into the hands of young children.

Imagination Library Hits a Major Milestone in Cedar Rapids

The Cedar Rapids Gazette reports that the Cedar Rapids Public Library Foundation, which is a local Imagination Library affiliate, recently mailed out its 500,000th book to a Cedar Rapids child. Half a million books in the hands of kids, all thanks to Dolly Parton! The best part about the program is that it is absolutely free!

How Does the Imagination Library Program Work?

The Gazette reports that the Imagination Library mails out age-appropriate books to children in Cedar Rapids from birth to their fifth birthday. All kids under the age of 5 are eligible, with no income guidelines. There are currently 4,400 Cedar Rapids kids enrolled, which equals 55% of eligible children, according to the Gazette.

According to the Gazette, the program costs about $31 per year for each child, but that is all covered by the Imagination Library program. Since 2018, 9,791 children have graduated from the program after turning 5 years old.

How Can I Sign My Kids Up?

The program is free for any child in Cedar Rapids under the age of five. You can fill out the form HERE.

Each child will receive a volume of 60 books up until they turn five year sold. Each month, a new book will arrive for you to read with your child!

Thank you, Dolly!