Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library (DPIL) is a book-gifting program for kids from birth until they turn five and an integral part of the "reading pathway" QCV is creating for kids in central and southside Virginia. Over the past 29 years, DPIL has given away more than 261 million high-quality, age-appropriate books. Books are selected each year by a panel of early childhood education experts and each month a book is mailed directly to kids at no cost to their families.

Kids need "home libraries" to develop vocabulary and reading skills. DPIL provides books for kids under five. Racquets for Reading!!! provides books and FUN giveaways for Virginia Preschool Initiative preschoolers and kindergartners in schools with lower reading scores and higher free or reduced lunch eligibility.

When we started advocating for DPIL in November 2020, there were two chapters in the 28 counties we serve. Today there are DPIL programs in 24 of 28 QCV counties. We partnered with a member of the Virginia House of Delegates to have the bi-ennial Budget amended to fund 50% of the costs of DPIL statewide, effective July 2022. We've been helping start chapters ever since in our service area and all over the state. As of 12/20/2024, there are DPIL programs in 73 of 95 counties and 26 of 38 cities in Virginia with 72,000+ kids enrolled.

As Dolly says, "You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children."

If you'd like to donate to help start a local chapter in your area and/or would like to sustain an existing chapter, we can point you in the right direction.

Email: quickstartcentral@comcast.net
 

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Supporters

• 100+ Women Who Care Charlottesville (Fluvanna)
• Empower Broadband (Greensville)
• Power of Change (Rappahannock Electric Cooperative) (Greene)
• Southside Electric Cooperative (TBD)
• Kendra Scott (Fluvanna)
• James & Lisa Cioban (Fluvanna)
• Three Chopt Ruritan Club (Fluvanna)
• J.S. Turner Farms, in memory of Geraldine "Jerrie" Kalani Smethurst (Fluvanna)
• Washington Forrest Foundation (Louisa)
• Louisa County Community Fund (Louisa)
• SHEETZ (Albemarle)
• Albemarle Rotary Club (Albemarle)
• William A. Cooke Foundation (Louisa)
• Chaney Cares (Amelia)
• AES Corporation (Brunswick, Charles City and Surry)

When DPIL is offered in all of Virginia, Dolly may come for a celebration!!! Let's get this done!