sends a child to a
mystical castle with an
enchanting princess.
 Your support Your support sends a child on an
epic adventure through
outer space. Your support sends a child
through a magical
forest where
animals talk. Your support builds imaginations,
and a lifetime love of
reading.

Welcome to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of London

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library gifts free monthly books to kids under five, sprinkling the magic of reading into the hearts of little ones across London. 

With your support, more kids can embark on magical journeys through the pages of a book, discovering the endless wonders and benefits that reading brings.

Learn More
4056

Number of books we’ve mailed to
London children. That’s a lot of reading!

Discover the Magic of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

In 1995, Dolly Parton embarked on an inspiring journey with the launch of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, a heartfelt initiative designed to uplift the children of her beloved East Tennessee home. With a vision to foster a love for reading in preschoolers and their families, Dolly set out to gift children with a carefully chosen book each month.

In 2006, Dolly announced the Canadian expansion of her Imagination Library, making Canada the first international affiliate for the program. Today, it spans five countries and gifts over 2 million free books each month to children around the world. And since 2023, that now includes London, Ontario!

Meet Betsy Reilly

Community Champion

Betsy Reilly is one of the co-founders and Community Champions for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of London. She leads the local fundraising initiatives for the local chapter, ensuring more books find their way into the hands of young readers throughout London. Betsy has been an educator specializing in early literacy with Thames Valley District School Board and is currently an adjunct professor in Western University’s Teacher Education program in Language Arts. She has always seen children’s literature and parents reading to children as the foundation of literacy development.

Nurture imaginations and inspire a lifelong love of reading!

Donate Now

“We are new to this program but we love it! The books are high quality and are on a range of topics. We love getting them each month!”

Parent – Niki McPhee

“I am always excited to see what book we have gotten for our baby at the beginning of every month. We love building our son’s library, and hope that his monthly deliveries help him develop a deep love a reading like both his parents! We are so thankful for this amazing program. Reading is fundamental!”

Parent – Emma Sutton

“My daughter Ellie loves walking to the mailbox to find her new book waiting! Each new book quickly becomes a favourite as my daughter’s vocabulary has been expanding so quickly with reading these books to her. We are so thankful for the opportunity to receive these books – our latest one being completely new to us – we had never heard of it before.”

Parent – Dalia Matijevic