Dolly Parton Imagination Library Enrollment Surges In Will County After Country Legend's Death

WILL COUNTY — The Imagination Library of Will County has experienced an influx in enrollments for children to receive free books in the mail following the death of the national program’s founder, Dolly Parton, officials said.

The local program is urging that parents be patient as both the online registration system and local volunteers manage the high level of traffic.

"Dolly Parton’s legendary life has positively impacted millions and inspired us to make a difference in the lives of others," said Will County Executive Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant, who partnered with the Will County Center for Economic Development to launch the program locally. "We’ve been heartened by the increase in donations and enrollments for the program over the last few days and ask for patience as we manage the increase in interest."

The Imagination Library is the signature program of the Dollywood Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded by Dolly Parton in 1988. Since launching in 1995, the Imagination Library has become the preeminent early childhood book-gifting program in the world.

The Will County program launched in July 2025, allowing local families to register for free, high-quality, and age-appropriate books mailed directly to their children from birth until their fifth birthday. Since then, over 8,800 children have been enrolled in the program.

Since the news of founder Dolly Parton’s passing on Aug. 26, over 350 children have been enrolled in the program. This coincides with a growing national interest in the program, which has caused high traffic and delays on the online registration system managed by the Dollywood Foundation.

"This program has already made a significant impact in the lives of children around Will County, living up to Dolly’s vision that 'You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children,'" said Will County Center for Economic Development Vice President of External Affairs Kayla Sorenson. "We are deeply appreciative of the local partners that have made this possible and appreciate everyone who has reached out about continuing to support this key literacy program."

The Imagination Library of Will County is advising parents to be patient as the system manages the influx of enrollments. Parents can learn more and register for the program by visiting WillCountyImaginationLibrary.org.

Individual sponsorships can also be made online to sponsor children enrolled in the program, including $16 to sponsor one year of books for one child, $80 to sponsor five children, or $160 to sponsor ten children.