We welcome all children under the age of five to enroll in this program. There is no better time to start reading to a child than now. The Charlotte County Imagination Library is excited to be able to offer this service to the children and parents of our community!
Dolly Parton’s dream of helping young children be well prepared to begin school and learn to read has opened new worlds and potential success to millions of children in the English-speaking world. As of August 2024, there are 3,125,626 children registered in the program throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, and Australia. More than 250,000,000 books have been gifted to these children through the partnerships of local affiliates and the Dollywood Foundation. The local affiliates serve their communities by registering the children and raising the funds to pay for their books. The Dollywood Foundation provides the affiliates with marketing tools, technology support and reports, organizational structure, and works with a panel of early childhood educators and psychologists to select the age-appropriate books for each of the 6 age groups of children in the program.
In Florida, children entering kindergarten take the state FAST assessment within the first 30 days of school to determine their readiness for learning. Comparison results show that children who participate in the Charlotte County Imagination Library program score significantly higher on this assessment than their peers who did not participate in the program. Our goal is to serve as many Charlotte County preschoolers as possible!
A world of enchanting stories and limitless imagination awaits your child. By registering your little one with the Imagination Library, they will receive a free book every month, fostering a lifelong love for reading and unlocking a magical realm of adventures.
By donating to the Imagination Library, you can help provide free books to children, paving the way for a brighter future. Together, let's fuel the joy of reading and create a world where every child has access to the transformative power of books.
Parents register their children by completing a simple form online in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library by going to www.imaginationlibrary.com.
Approximately 2 months after registration, the first book arrives in the mail, from the Dollywood Foundation in a clear plastic wrapper so it is immediately recognizable.
A new book arrives in the mail free of charge to the family every single month until the child’s fifth birthday.
Your one-year, tax-deductible sponsorship of $50 will support the cost of managing the Charlotte County Imagination Library (CCIL) program to provide 12 books to a child, one monthly. The books will be delivered directly to the child by the U.S. Postal Service. You can click on the DONATE button on this website to sponsor one or many children, or mail a check payable to CCIL to P.O. Box 510001, Punta Gorda, FL 33951-0001. Contact us if you would like more information!
Your name will be placed on the labels of all the books that are mailed to the families in a specific month. Your $500, tax-deductible donation will place your business, organization or personal name in front of about 2,600 parents. You can sponsor for one or more months. Contact us today to learn more!
The Charlotte County Imagination Library is available to all children from birth until their fifth birthday. These children living in Charlotte County are encouraged to register.
Remember, enrollment in this program is absolutely free. The only information necessary to register is the child’s name, birth date, the parent’s name, a phone number, mailing address and email address.
Once a child is registered, the first book will arrive in 8-12 weeks. If you have any questions about registration, please contact us!
Read about the heartwarming impact and joy brought by the Charlotte County Imagination Library's initiatives.