Dolly Parton's Imagination Library Expands Into Texas, New Jersey, and London

The Imagination Library, Dolly Parton's free monthly book-gifting program founded in 1995, opened enrollment this week to previously unserved Texas counties and to thousands of London families with children under five. New Jersey Assemblyman Bill Moen has separately filed a bill to extend coverage statewide.

Launched in 1995, the Imagination Library mails one age-appropriate book per month to enrolled children from birth through age five. Parton founded it in the United States; this week's London expansion marks its first confirmed foreign rollout.

Where is the program growing?

In Texas, the Imagination Library has moved into counties where enrollment was previously unavailable. In London, the BBC reports that thousands of families can now register their children. In Trenton, Moen has introduced legislation that would open enrollment across New Jersey.

The assemblyman told The New Jersey Monitor that his bill targets a specific obstacle. "What this bill aims to address is eliminating the excuse or the reason that there's not a book in the household or in the bedroom that could be used to read to your kids at night," Moen said.

What is the political backdrop?

The expansion follows Parton's death in August. Several state legislatures attempted to curtail the program after her passing. Indiana drew particular public criticism for its effort.

Organized donations pushed back. The Dollywood Foundation announced a "Give Like Dolly Day" on September 25, asking supporters worldwide to contribute in Parton's name. Public response to the giving day, paired with vocal legislative opposition, helped counter contraction efforts at the state level. The Texas and London expansions were both confirmed this week.

How large is the program?

Founded in 1995, the Imagination Library now operates in U.S. communities across the country and, as of this week, in at least one foreign capital. Each month, enrolled families receive a title chosen for the child's age, from infancy through the year before grade school.

What is the New Jersey bill's path?

Moen's legislation faces standard committee review. If passed and signed, it would authorize state funding for monthly mailings to New Jersey children.

Texas counties have active enrollment now. London's rollout will continue in successive waves across the city, per the BBC.

What does the expansion signal?

For a cultural philanthropy that runs on donated books and state partnerships, the Imagination Library's growth illustrates how a founder's personal reputation can sustain public infrastructure. Its expansion, set against the weeks following Parton's death, suggests durable public appetite for free children's literature — a category of cultural infrastructure that rarely attracts attention until it is contested at the statehouse.