About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

In partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, Suffolk Public Library and the Suffolk Early Childhood Development Commission (ECDC) will provide a hand-selected, age-appropriate, high-quality book each month to registered children from birth to their fifth birthday.  One book is chosen for each month by the staff at Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and are free for the participating children.  Participation is voluntary and free to eligible participants.  

Visit Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to register a child (birth to their fifth birthday) who is a Suffolk resident (registration may be unavailable for several hours during the "monthly processing" held one of the first days of the month). 

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for this free opportunity?

To be eligible to register for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, you must:

• Be a Suffolk resident.
• Be the legal guardian of a child from birth to their fifth birthday (multiple children from the same family or household are eligible).
• Provide a Suffolk mailing address.

How do we register?

Visit Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to register (registration may be unavailable for several hours during the "monthly processing" held one of the first days of the month). 

To register multiple children in the same household, make sure to add an email when registering the first child.  Then create an account using the email received after signup.   This will create an account on the Parent Portal and allow for the easy registration of each child.  

What happens to our information and how is it managed?

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library manages all of the registration and mailing information.   Visit the Imagination Library's General Data Protection Regulation page for additional information.  

When will we receive our first book?

Depending on time of registration, the first book will be mailed in 6-8 weeks and then the beginning of each month until the child's fifth birthday.  If multiple children in a household participate, they will all receive the same book each month.

Visit the Imagination's Library Book List to view the titles selected for the year.       

How do we update our mailing information or stop receiving books or stop participation in the initiative.

Please use the Imagination Library's Parent Portal:

Option 1: Using the Parent Portal

• Begin registration as usual from the DPIL website
• Once you register, it will send you an email asking you to verify your email address.
• Once you verify your email, it will give you the option to set up your Parent Portal.
• From the Parent Portal you can update address, stop delivery, and register additional children.

Option 2:  Using the Registration Form

• Begin registration as usual from the DPIL website
• Register additional children by filling out the form once for each eligible child

Option 3: Mailing in the Paper Application

• Print and mail in the paper application form.  Fill out one form for each child and mail to

FRIENDS OF THE SUFFOLK LIBRARY

443 W WASHINGTON ST

SUFFOLK VA 23434

or contact the Library to update the mailing address for each child:

• www.SuffolkPublicLibrary.com/ContactUs
• 757-514-7308

How do I request an accommodation for braille or audio books?

Visit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to learn more about their partnership with American Printing House for the Blind, Inc (APH) to provide many of the wonderful books in our program, available in braille and audio format, to be accessible to young children who are blind or visually impaired.

Why is this initiative important?

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is based on a wide range of research about the importance of reading and access to books, especially for young children.   Visit the Imagination Library Research page for more information.  

How is this initiative being funded?

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is provided free to all eligible participants.  The Suffolk Public Library and the Suffolk Early Childhood Development Commission (ECDC) provide 50% of the costs to purchase and mail each book with the Commonwealth of Virginia providing the other 50%.   The Dollywood Foundation covers overhead costs and negotiates wholesale pricing for the books.  

Additional Resources

Visit Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for more details.

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has gifted over 200 million free books in the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, Australia, and The Republic of Ireland. This is achieved through funding shared by The Dollywood Foundation and Local Community and State Partners.   The Imagination Library mails more than 3 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes each month. Each child enrolled in the program receives one book per month from birth to age five - at no cost to families.  Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading and inspiring children to Dream More, Learn More, Care More and Be More.

The program’s impact has been widely researched, and results demonstrate its positive impact on early childhood development and literacy skills. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. For more information, please visit imaginationlibrary.com.