Dolly Parton's Free Book Program to Expand in London

The Imagination Library, a program that mails free books to children each month, is expanding its reach in London.

The scheme enrolls children from birth and sends them a free, age-appropriate book every month until they turn five years old, with the aim of encouraging early literacy and a love of reading regardless of family income.

The Imagination Library was founded by the late singer Dolly Parton in 1995 in Tennessee and has since grown into an international program operating across the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada and Australia, distributing millions of books to children worldwide.

Parton was widely known not only for her music career but also for her philanthropic work, with the Imagination Library considered one of her most enduring legacies.

The London expansion will allow more families in the city to sign up their children for the free monthly book mailings, extending a program that has been credited by educators and literacy advocates with helping foster reading habits among young children.

Local officials and literacy charities have generally welcomed the program's growth, noting that early exposure to books is linked to stronger reading skills later in a child's education.