Dolly Parton & Kentucky Printing House: Books Accessible for All

Reading is fundamental! Studies show that reading to children can help inspire their imagination, expand their vocabulary, and increase their understanding of the world around them. We loved to read with Rollins when he was little, and thanks to Dolly Parton, we always had a new book arrive in the mail each month. Some of his favorite stories came from her. I bet I read The House That Jack Built at least a million times.

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has expanded now all over the world gifting over 200 million books to the more than 2 million children registered for the free book program that started in 1995. Dolly shared her inspiration for her library,

“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.
The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”

The Library continues to expand each year and the Kentucky Talking Book Library recently announced that they have been working with Dolly to make books available to ALL children. Collaborating with the American Printing House for the Blind located in Louisville, Kentucky The Imagination Library will now offer audio and print/braille versions. Now young readers or their caretakers who are blind or have low vision can enjoy this amazing book program and inspire the same love for reading.

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If you have a kiddo who is under 5 years old, I highly recommend signing them up for the program. You can check here to see if there is availability for your zip code. The Kentucky Talking Book Library is offering assistance to those who may not have reliable internet access. If you need help, you can give them a call at (502) 564-5791. I also encourage you to support events and fundraisers for The Imagination Library if you are able. Local volunteers in each city help to keep the magic going so that families all around the world can spend quality time reading with their children.