Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

(imaginationlibrary.com)

107 points | by jumploops 1 hour ago

14 comments

  • bengotow 1 minute ago
    I have a two year old and have been receiving Imagination Library books monthly since he was born. This is a really wonderful non-profit. It's easy to sign up, the books show up in your mailbox, and each one has a page written by an educator describing how to read it to your child. (Point out the dog, what noise does a dog make? How does the boy feel at the end? etc) Highly recommend!
  • peterleiser 31 minutes ago
    In Tennessee hospitals a nurse, staff member, or authorized volunteer will swing by your room in the mother-baby unit and sign you up. Then you start receiving free books by mail each month until age 5. An amazing program by an amazing person!
  • twotwotwo 11 minutes ago
    We weren't signed up but as a measure of the scale of this we still wound up with a couple of Imagination Library books through book exchanges or buying used online -- i.e. there are enough of these 300M books floating around that if you have a kid there's a good chance you run into them.

    I like the sibling comment "We should be more ambitious with the people we build." -- there are so many great things people with some means can be doing!

  • turtleburger 47 minutes ago
    These books are really nice quality. Anyone who has children should absolutely look into this. The content is thoughtful and diverse.
    • bredren 19 minutes ago
      Many of the stories are good. The library also selects books that offer some stories reflecting diverse cultures.

      Growing up in the 80s everything is white folks or animals but almost always it is about a boy or boys.

      I think the baby books are still board books. Cordoroy’s Shapes is part of what I remember about our first’s earliest years. Reading it over and over. We even did a first birthday theme for it. My mom made triangle tarts.

      After that they are floppy picture books. I suppose at this scale is is probably both economical and reflects some of the material involved.

      That is just fine, though it’s just not the same as holding a hardcover.

      Our kids don’t care about that, though. It’s more about the time and talking about the pictures and how well we ham it up.

  • hudo 47 minutes ago
    Getting books for almost 2 years now, we're so grateful to Dolly! Some very excellent books our child totally loves!
  • dead_hn_theory 54 minutes ago
    We should be more ambitious with the people we build.
    • eddieroger 17 minutes ago
      We should celebrate people like Dolly and not people unworthy of celebration or celebrity.
      • argentinian 7 minutes ago
        Yes, it would be nice if people who make the world a better place would receive more attention and appreciation.
    • PLenz 18 minutes ago
      Exactly, noblesse oblige
  • HelloUsername 42 minutes ago
  • TheAtomic 52 minutes ago
    We need more Dolly Partons.
    • runarberg 15 minutes ago
      What Dolly was doing here is a form of mutual aid, a practice of sharing skills, knowledge, food, or material goods with your community. I encourage everyone to participate in mutual aid organizations if you are able.

      The world needs more Dolly Partons, that is for sure. But lucky for us, the world has many billions of people who are willing and able to participate in the sort of mutual aid that Dolly championed.

    • delichon 31 minutes ago
      They broke the mold.
  • afthonos 24 minutes ago
    We shall never look upon her like again.

    —Sent from Dollywood

    • brianwawok 17 minutes ago
      Hah I’m in Dollywood right now randomly
  • Vsolar 31 minutes ago
    Getting age-appropriate books for your kid on a regular schedule is amazing. If you've got young kids (and you're in the US) get on it!
    • nkoren 23 minutes ago
      We get them where I am in the UK, too.

      Bless Dolly, she was amazing!

  • bushbaba 15 minutes ago
    Because of Dolly, other billionaires have stepped up to fund similar free books per month programs. She had a truly outsized impact.
  • Projectiboga 38 minutes ago
    If you know of any kids under the age of six get them signed up. The books come addressed in their name monthly.
  • ChrisArchitect 41 minutes ago
    Related on the legend RIP and some talk about the Library:

    Dolly Parton has died

    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49438052