Research shows that children who enter school ready to learn are more likely to achieve early reading proficiency by third grade, and consequently more likely to graduate high school on time.
Those benefits stack up over time: students who graduate high school are more likely to find a job that pays a livable wage, live healthier lives, stay out of the justice system and have children who also graduate high school on time.
Early learning and literacy is a large component of that and getting books into the hands of children at a young age is what Dolly Parton Imagination Library is all about. 
- United Way NSV serves as the fiscal agent for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program in Page County, VA.
- United Way NSV was also one of the key early funder for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program in Shenandoah County, VA.
About Dolly Parton Imagination Library (DPIL) in Page County, VA
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a 60 volume set of books beginning with the children's classic The Little Engine That Could. Each month a new, carefully selected book, will be mailed in your child's name directly to your home. Best of all it is a FREE GIFT. There is no cost or obligation to families.
In 1995, Dolly Parton launched an exciting new effort, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, to benefit the children of her home county in East Tennessee, USA. Dolly's vision was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families by providing them with the gift of a specially selected book each month. By mailing high quality, age-appropriate books directly to their homes, she wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create. Moreover, she could ensure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income.
Dolly’s Imagination Library became so popular that in the year 2000 she announced that she would make the program available for replication to any community that was willing to partner with her to support it locally. Since the initial program launch in the United States, Dolly Parton's Imagination Library has gone from just a few dozen books to over 80,000,000 books mailed to children in the United States, into Canada and across the proverbial pond into the United Kingdom! Currently over 1600 local communities provide the Imagination Library to over 1,000,000 children each and every month. Already statistics and independent reports have shown Dolly Parton's Imagination Library drastically improves early childhood literacy for children enrolled in the program. Further studies have shown improved scores during early literacy testing.
Preschool children ages birth to five who are residents of Page County. Curious about program coverage in other areas? Take a look at the main Dolly Parton Imagination Library page to see if your area is covered! Link here.
- Be a resident of Page County
- Submit an official registration form, completely filled out by a parent of guardian. (Form must be approved an on file with Page county Imagination Library)
- Notify the Page County Imagination Library any time your address changes. Books are mailed to the address listed on the official registration form. If the child's address changes, you must contact the folks at the Page County office to continue to receive books. (P.O. Box 301, Luray, VA 22835)
- Read with your child.
Eight to ten weeks after your registration form has been received, books will begin to arrive at your home and will continue until your child turns five or you move out of Page County.
United Way NSV is the fiscal sponsor for Page County DPIL, but we do not FUND the program. The program is supported by donations to the program directly.
For $25 per year you can sponsor a child for the Imagination Library, $100 sponsors 4 children!