Lynchburg Imagination Library

If you are a parent or guardian of children under the age of five who reside in the City of Lynchburg, living in zip codes 24501, 24502, 24503, 24504, 24505, 24506, 24513, 24514 or 24515, you can register for the Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Program and each child registered will receive a free book in the mail each month until their fifth birthday.

Each child is eligible to be enrolled by their parent or guardian. If there are multiple children under five in a household, each child is eligible to enroll. The Dollywood Foundation switches out 18-20 books each year to ensure children in the same family won’t always get the same books. Please note that twins and multiples will receive the same book selection.

You may register your child(ren) online or by mail.

• To register your child online, click here: Lynchburg Imagination Library Online Registration
• To register your child by mail, download and complete the Lynchburg Imagination Library Registration Form (.pdf) and then mail to the address below:

  Lynchburg Imagination Library
  P.O. Box 3080
  Lynchburg, VA 24503

What are my responsibilities as a parent or guardian?

1. Be a resident of Lynchburg.
2. Submit an official registration form, completely filled out by the authorized adult or register online.
3. Notify the program administrator any time your address changes. Books are mailed to the address listed on the account.
4. Begin reading with your child immediately, at least five times per week and for 15 minutes or more at a time. Snuggle, ask questions, notice letters, make sounds and most importantly, have fun! “The single most significant factor influencing a child’s early educational success is an introduction to books and being read to at home prior to beginning school.” - National Commission on Reading

When will I receive books?

Eight to ten weeks after your registration form has been received, books will begin arriving at your home and will continue until your child turns five or you move out of the covered area.

What type of books are mailed?

All books within the program are age-appropriate and are selected by early childhood experts. The first book your child will receive is always “The Little Engine that Could,” and the final book received is always “Look Out Kindergarten, Here I Come.” Children will be mailed age-appropriate books in between. All books are printed through Penguin Publishing, and reading tips are provided on a flap on the back of each softcover book. Each year, the esteemed Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee, a specially selected panel of early childhood literacy experts, is responsible for reviewing hundreds of potential titles for inclusion in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Recent studies suggest participation in the Imagination Library is positively and significantly associated with higher measures of early language and math development. The Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee takes great care in choosing books that meet the different needs of children as they progress from birth to age 5.

Imagination Library Book List

How much does this cost?

These books are a FREE GIFT to your child through the sponsorships of local community partners organized by Lynchburg City School Education Foundation, Inc. There is no cost or obligation to your family. The cost accrued by the Education Foundation is approximately $2.10 per book each month or $25.00 per child, per year.

Questions?

Contact Bianca Childress, program administrator, at (434) 515-5432 or [email protected].

Donations to the Lynchburg Imagination Library are tax-deductible and may be made online or through the mail.

Checks should be made payable to Lynchburg Imagination Library and mailed to: Lynchburg Imagination Library, PO Box 3080, Lynchburg, VA 24503

Click here for online Lynchburg Imagination Library Donations.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a book gifting program that mails high-quality books to children from birth to age five, at no cost, no matter their family’s income. After launching in 1995, the program grew quickly and by 2003, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library had mailed one million books to children around the world.

The Dollywood Foundation covers the overhead expenses of the program, to include the book selection, procurement, and fulfillment processes. However, this incredible program would not be possible without the support and sponsorship of Local Champions in the communities it serves. In September 2019, the Aspire Foundation, founded by Mary and Sam Omotoye, took on this role launching the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in the City of Lynchburg. Since then, the organization has come a long way in ensuring that as many children as possible in Lynchburg are receiving new, age-appropriate books from the Imagination Library every month. As of December 2021, nearly 21,000 books have been delivered in Lynchburg.

The Lynchburg City Schools Education Foundation, Inc. was honored to be selected by the Aspire Foundation to be the next Local Champion for the Lynchburg Imagination Library, effective January 2022. We are thrilled to continue this early childhood literacy and school readiness initiative in the City of Lynchburg with the ultimate goal of putting books in the hands of every child eligible to enroll.