How Your Child Can Receive Free Books, Courtesy of Dolly Parton

PHOTO VIA PITTSBURGH MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

More Pittsburgh children will soon be able to receive one free book a month, thanks to Dolly Parton. 

The City of Pittsburgh, along with Reading Ready Pittsburgh, the Benter Foundation and other local backers, have partnered to announce the expansion of Dolly Parton Imagination Library, which provides a free book every month to young children through their fifth birthday. The expansion will include new outreach to local families with children to reach the goal of signing up at least 65% of eligible children within the city.

The program is designed to boost kindergarten readiness, foster a lifelong love of reading and give families meaningful ways to explore new worlds together, officials say in a statement. There are currently 4,200 local children enrolled in the program — roughly 30% of the 14,000 children under age five living in the city.

“Through this program, we have the opportunity for every kid under age five in the City of Pittsburgh to get a free book in the mail every month, which is [an] investment in the future of our youngest residents,” Mayor Corey O’Connor says in a statement. “We want to more than double enrollment in this program to help families build strong foundations for our children.”

The program is completely free and there are no household income requirements. 

Access to books at home is among one of the strongest predictors of academic success, regardless of family income or parental education. Studies conducted by the Dollywood Foundation found that after receiving just 10 books through the Imagination Library, children were at least four times more likely to demonstrate stronger emerging literacy skills.

“Every child in Pittsburgh deserves a bookshelf full of stories and the chance to grow up knowing the joy of reading,” said Dr. Mary Denison of Reading Ready Pittsburgh. “Through this expansion of DPIL, we’re building a foundation for a lifetime of learning. We’re proud to have the City of Pittsburgh and Mayor O’Connor’s partnership as we work to fulfill the mission of mailing books to all of Pittsburgh’s young children.”

The Benter Foundation has approved investing $1.8 million over the next five years for the program’s expansion. Together, the major partners are working to enlist local funders, corporations and individual donors to support Pittsburgh’s youngest readers. The goal is to double the funds already committed to sustain and promote the program.

Enrollment materials will be available at CitiParks locations including pools and recreation centers, City-hosted events and in the Mayor’s Office newsletter and social media. Families can also register for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh locations throughout the city. Library staff are available to assist with online and paper applications, helping make enrollment easy and accessible for families. 

Families can register their children online.