Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library launches in Douglas

Douglas, Isle of Man. 19th Dec 2025  

Inspired by her father’s own experience with literacy, Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee in 1995. In the 30 years since, the Imagination Library has delivered more than 300 million free books to children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.

Speaking about the Isle of Man launch, Meg Fletcher, Regional Director of the Dollywood Foundation, said:

“We’re thrilled to be launching Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library for the first time on the Isle of Man! Thanks to the hard work and dedication of the trustees of the Isle of Man Imagination Library, children under five in Douglas will be able to develop a love of books and reading that lasts a lifetime. We hope that families enjoy their books each month and look forward to hearing feedback in the coming months.”

Each child enrolled in the programme receives 12 carefully selected, age-appropriate books each year, delivered directly to their home. Research shows that access to books in the early years supports language development and school readiness, and by delivering books directly to families the Imagination Library helps remove barriers to early literacy. A child enrolled from birth will build a home library of 60 books by the time their reach their fifth birthday.

The programme operates through a unique partnership model. Local community partners, such as the Isle of Man Imagination Library, raise the funding to cover the cost of books and postage for their area, while Dolly Parton’s Dollywood Foundation covers the programme’s central administration and coordinates large-scale publishing and distribution partnerships. This creates significant economies of scale, allowing books to be delivered at a fraction of their retail cost.

As a result, a local donation of just £26 will fund a Manx child to receive a high-quality, age-appropriate book every month for an entire year. At the time of the 2021 Census, there were 3483 children under the age of five on the Isle of Man. Providing monthly books to every eligible child on the island for one year would cost approximately £90,000.

Stacey Meakin, a trustee of the Isle of Man Imagination Library (registered charity No. 1364), commented:  

“The response to bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to the Isle of Man has been overwhelmingly positive. In addition to the exceptionally generous donation from the Elizabeth Clucas Charitable Trust, which has enabled registrations to open in Douglas, many individuals and organisations across the island have donated, offered encouragement, spoken about their love of reading and shared how much they have been inspired by Dolly Parton. We hope Douglas is the first step towards bringing Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to every part of the island and ensuring that books continue to arrive month after month for years to come.”

Anyone who feels they may be able to help, whether by supporting a new area or helping sustain the programme long term, is invited to visit imaginationlibrary.im to learn more, donate online, or get in touch by emailing books@imaginationlibrary.im

Parents or carers of children under five in Douglas City Council postcode areas are encouraged to register their child at imaginationlibrary.im before the New Year to receive the programme’s welcome book in early February.

About Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Established in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is widely recognised as the world’s leading early childhood book-gifting programme. As the flagship programme of The Dollywood Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) charity, the Imagination Library has delivered more than 300 million free books to children across the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland.

 The programme operates through a unique partnership model, with costs shared between The Dollywood Foundation and Local Community Partners. Each month, the Imagination Library sends over 3 million high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to children’s homes. Every child enrolled receives one book per month from birth to age five - entirely free to families.

Inspired by her father’s experience with illiteracy, Dolly created the Imagination Library to foster a lifelong love of reading and to encourage children everywhere to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, and Be More.

The programme’s impact has been extensively researched, with findings demonstrating clear benefits for early childhood development, family reading habits, and school readiness.

About the Isle of Man Imagination Library

The Isle of Man Imagination Library is a Manx registered charity, No. 1364, and is the Isle of Man affiliate partner for the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library