Frequently Asked Questions
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Volunteer, Donor or Other Stakeholder
Volunteers, Donors & Stakeholders
How much does the program cost?
The total cost of the program is just under $30 per child, per year -- which includes 12 high-quality, age-appropriate books, shipping & handling, and reflects absolutely no administrative overhead. With the Governor's Books from Birth Foundation funding half of all Tennessee counties' Imagination Library monthly book orders, county sponsoring organizations for the program must raise approximately $12 per child, per year.
To assist with countywide Imagination Library efforts, Governor Bredesen each year obtains the General Assembly’s approval to pay 50 percent of the cost of providing books to the state’s 375,000 children under age five each month. GBBF's annual budget is based on estimated increases in registered children statewide.
Individual, private or other community/corporate donors represent the majority of financial supporters for the program in Tennessee counties. Financial support from city or county government is presently being offered to Imagination Library programs in a small number of counties.
Although Governor Bredesen created the Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation, it is his desire for the county matches and local program efforts to continue for decades to come!
Yes! County volunteers are invited to call us toll-free at 1-866-368-6371 to learn more! You may also download and review GBBF's Fundraising Manuals for Small/Medium or Large/Urban counties.
A blue ribbon committee of childhood education experts selects the books for the Imagination Library, which includes such well-loved classics as The Little Engine That Could, Spot Goes to the Farm, Snowy Day, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten.
The committee also determines an age-appropriate timeline for book themes, including: visual and playful stimulation in year one; repetition and body awareness in year two; love, colors and letters in year three; diversity of others and poetry in year four; and finally, riddles, science and appreciation in year five.
The Imagination Library also proudly offers up to ten bilingual books featuring Spanish and English text on the same page. This is an excellent way to expose Tennessee families to both languages.
Parent, Grandparent or Guardian
All Tennessee children under age 5 are eligible to receive Imagination Library books, at no cost to the family and regardless of income -- one book per month from birth to their fifth birthday, for a total of 60 books.
In June of 2006, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library reached every county in Tennessee. Every child under age 5 in Tennessee now has access to the Imagination Library.
Parents or guardians, you may register your child using the official Imagination Library brochures, which are customized according to county and available at your local public library. The brochures are easily identified, with a colorful graphic of Governor Bredesen and Dolly Parton on the front cover.
You may find your county’s Imagination Library contact information by visiting our county map and clicking on your county, or selecting your county from the drop-down list.
You may also register a child online by visiting www.ImaginationLibrary.com, click on "United States," and then "First-Time Visitors."
Yes! Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was intended as a gift to all children, therefore it is absolutely free for any child from birth to age five who lives in Tennessee, regardless of family income!
The program is a partnership between the Governor's Books from Birth Foundation and each county's sponsoring organization. Costs for each county's monthly book order are split evenly between the GBBF and the sponsoring organization. The GBBF administers State funds allocated for the book orders, and raises funds from corporate donors to assist distressed counties who lack an adequate businesses or civic clubs to cover their share of the costs.
Only the Dollywood Foundation for the express purpose of mailing the books.
A blue ribbon committee of childhood education experts selects the books for the Imagination Library, which includes such well-loved classics as The Little Engine That Could, Spot Goes to the Farm, Snowy Day, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, and Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten.
The committee also determines an age-appropriate timeline for book themes, including: visual and playful stimulation in year one; repetition and body awareness in year two; love, colors and letters in year three; diversity of others and poetry in year four; and finally, riddles, science and appreciation in year five.
We are also proud to offer seven bilingual books this year featuring Spanish and English text on the same page. This is an excellent way to expose Tennessee families to both languages.
No. You must be the child's parent or guardian.
Please contact your local Imagination Library sponsoring organization to remove your child from the registration list. You may find contact information for your county's sponsoring organization here.
Each child may be signed up to receive their very own Imagination Library! The Dollywood Foundation's selection panel also rotates some books in the Library each year, so that siblings do not receive full sets of identical titles.
Please contact your Imagination Library county sponsoring organization or contact the Dollywood Foundation if you are moving out of state.
Yes! These books are your child’s to keep forever! The Imagination Library seeks to foster a love of book ownership as a way to also encourage a love of reading as an everyday activity.
Contact your county sponsoring organization. Keep keep in mind that book orders are placed only once a month, and it takes an average of six weeks from the time your child is signed up to receive the first book, always The Little Engine That Could.
This program owes its success to the hundreds of Tennesseans who diligently serve their communities by volunteering with their local program! Please call us toll free at 1-(877)-99-BOOKS to find out what you can do to get involved!
Just under $30 per child, per year brings the Imagination Library to all children under age five in your county!
The Governor's Books from Birth Foundation covers half of this $30 annual cost on behalf of each county sponsoring organization, so Imagination Library programs in all 95 counties must raise approximately $15 per child, per year.
Please consider sponsoring a child in this wonderful free books program by making a secure online contribution to your county sponsoring organization, or the GBBF (statewide) program here on our Web site. Support your county's Imagination Library by attending or otherwise supporting local fundraising events, a variety of which are held annually during the third week of September (Imagination Library Week in Tennessee), and throughout the year!
*Ask your county sponsoring organization about automatically debiting your account for monthy and annual pledges! You can also sponsor a child in the Imagination Library, in Honor or in Memory of your loved one, right here on the GBBF Web site.
Please visit our Newsroom to read all Governor’s Books from Birth Foundation press releases! Return to our home page to read current & previous editions of our quarterly newsletter, Signpost.
All media requests should be directed to:
Jill Gorin
GBBF Communications Director
615.253.4349
Jill.Gorin@tn.gov
I want to ...
Parents or guardians, you may register your child using the official Imagination Library brochures, which are customized according to county and available at your local public library. The brochures are easily identified, with a colorful graphic of Governor Bredesen and Dolly Parton on the front cover.
You may find your county’s Imagination Library contact information by visiting our county map and clicking on your county, or selecting your county from the drop-down list.
You may also register a child online by visiting www.ImaginationLibrary.com, click on "United States," and then "First-Time Visitors."
Just under $30 per child, per year brings the Imagination Library to the children of your county!
The Governor's Books from Birth Foundation splits the cost of monthly book orders with each county's sponsoring organization, so county Imagination Library programs must raise approximately $12 per child, per year.
Please consider sponsoring a child in this wonderful free books program by making a secure online contribution to your county sponsoring organization, or the GBBF (statewide) program here on the GBBF Web site. Support your county's Imagination Library by attending or otherwise supporting local fundraising events, a variety of which are held annually during the third week of September (Imagination Library Week in Tennessee), and throughout the year!
*Ask your county sponsoring organization about automatically debiting your account for monthy and annual pledges! You can also sponsor a child in the Imagination Library in Honor or in Memory of your loved one, here on the GBBF Web site.
Check out the many helpful documents and contact numbers throughout our Web site, visit the Dollywood Foundation’s Web site, and as always, feel free to call us toll-free at 1-877-99-BOOKS to find out more about Tennessee's statewide Imagination Library. We'd love to hear from you!
