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Cumberland County Public Library recently announced that it has become an affiliate with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. County residents now have the option to sign up their children to receive free books through the program. Sent directly to the child at the address on record, books are mailed monthly to registered youngsters from birth to the age of 5.

“We are excited to join several surrounding counties in offering this program for children,” said Library Director Lisa Davis. “Cumberland County has six different ZIP codes that are used to deliver mail to local households. Our Imagination Library coverage is limited to those family residences that fall within the county’s boundary lines and which are part of Cumberland County Public Schools service area. We wish we could make free books available to children everywhere; but, with limited funding, that is not possible.” 

Since launching in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book gifting program in the world. The flagship program of The Dollywood Foundation has gifted well over 172 million free books in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Australia and The Republic of Ireland. The Imagination Library mails more than 1.8 million high-quality, age-appropriate books each month to registered children from birth to age five. Dolly envisioned creating a lifelong love of reading, inspiring them to dream. The impact of the program has been widely researched and results suggest positive increases in key early childhood literacy metrics. Penguin Random House is the exclusive publisher for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Cumberland County residents who wish to register their children for the free book program have several options. They can register online at https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/find-my-program/ using the locality’s affiliate code “VA – Cumberland County” or they can enter their household ZIP code to locate the program. Child registration forms can also be downloaded from the library’s homepage at https://www.cumberlandcountypubliclibrary.org/ and returned by mail to the library at P.O. Box 98, Cumberland VA 23040 or by email to cumberlandlibraryva@gmail.com. Forms are also available for pickup and completion at the library at 1539 Anderson Highway in Cumberland.

The Cumberland County Public Library is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Individuals, organizations and/or groups who may be interested in making a tax-deductible donation to support Cumberland County’s Imagination Library’s cost of $25 per child per year should contact the library at (804) 492-5807.