Governor's Early Literacy Foundation

09/04/2026

Week one of OWL Fest is in the books! 📚

In partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, OWL (Opportunities with Literacy) Fest is a traveling bookstore experience for priority schools across Tennessee. Students in PreK–5th grade select six books from a curated collection to build their home libraries, at no cost to them! Our volunteers spent the week bringing this experience to schools across Memphis, helping students pick out books to keep forever. Thank you to everyone who came out to make it happen!

We're back in Memphis next week and would love more hands on deck. Sign up to volunteer: https://governorsfoundation.org/home-library/k-3-home-library/owl-fest/volunteer-owl-fest

09/03/2026

Cordell Hull Lake's new Storybook Trails are turning heads, and for good reason.

They show just how well reading and the outdoors can come together, giving families a fresh way to enjoy story time.

Find one near you: https://bookerstreehouse.org/community

09/03/2026

Last weekend, Regal raised more than $20,000 during the Dolly tribute moving screenings! That will provide 15,480 books to 1,290 TN children enrolled in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library next year. Thank you, Regal and everyone who went to one of the screenings!

Get your popcorn ready! Regal is bringing two Dolly movies back to theaters as a tribute, with 100% of proceeds benefiting Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, through Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation, the program’s statewide partner. The tribute kicks off at 12 Regal theatres across Tennessee this weekend and will expand to Regal theatres nationwide next weekend.

🎬 Saturday, Aug. 29: The Best Little Wh******se in Texas
🎬 Sunday, Aug. 30: Steel Magnolias

Advance tickets to Tennessee showtimes are available now at theatre box offices/kiosks, on the mobile app, and through REGmovies.com. To learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and how the program continues Dolly’s commitment to inspiring a love of reading in children around the world, visit ImaginationLibrary.com.

09/02/2026

There are several great ways to honor Dolly's legacy in Middle Tennessee this month. United Way of Greater Nashville has a lineup of events supporting Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, including a 9to5K Run & Walk, A Dolly Good Time, and Studios & Stories events.

"Through Imagination Library, Dolly gave generations of children more than books," said Erica Mitchell, CEO of United Way of Greater Nashville. "She gave them the joy of being read to, the confidence to learn and the promise that their community believes in their future."

Read more about the upcoming events here:

Join United Way in honoring Dolly Parton through Imagination Library events. Support childhood literacy and help provide free books to children.

09/02/2026

Following an announcement from Tennessee legislative leaders, GELF is celebrating a proposed investment that would expand state funding for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library from 50% to 100% of book and mailing costs statewide, beginning in 2027. The proposed funding remains subject to approval through the state budget process.

"This proposed investment is a powerful commitment to Dolly's legacy and to Tennessee children," said James Pond, GELF President & CEO.

Dolly Parton’s commitment to early childhood reading has inspired millions in Tennessee. We are honoring her legacy by preserving the Imagination Library.

Today, Senator Bo Watson (TN-11) and I announced for the state to fund 100% of the imagination library. This follows investing an additional $4.5 billion in state dollars in k-12, and $200 million in TN Accelerating Literacy and Learning Corps which has lead TN to be ranked 18th in k-12 education and 4th for reading proficiency growth!

09/02/2026

Soak up the last rays of summer sunshine on the Storybook Trail at Steele Creek Park! Our latest book, "Summer Song" by Kevin Henkes with illustrations by Laura Dronzek, invites readers to explore the magic of the season through vibrant sights, sounds, and scents. Bring your family, take a stroll, and let each page spark your imagination.

Funded by the Governor's Early Literacy Foundation at the request of the Appalachian Literacy Initiative, the Storybook Trail at Steele Creek Park features a new book each quarter on child-height panels that foster a love for stories and books while enjoying nature. The trail begins near the Bristol Host Lions Club Shelter (Shelter F) and runs along the arboretum path to Lakeside Trail.

09/02/2026

OWL Fest is officially underway, and we're so excited to visit schools across the state this month!

09/02/2026

Nashville proclaimed September as Imagination Library Month, honoring Dolly's legacy with Imagination Library and initiatives to improve childhood literacy.

Each year, more than 500,000 books reach 50,000 kids in Middle Tennessee through GELF's partnership with United Way of Greater Nashville and The Dollywood Foundation.

Read more here: https://wpln.org/post/nashville-to-carry-on-dolly-partons-literary-legacy-with-imagination-library-month/

Dolly Parton provided books for more than 300 million children. Now, Nashville leaders vow to carry on her legacy with 'Imagination Library Month' and expanded

09/01/2026

Since 2004, more than 60 million Dolly Parton's Imagination Library books have been delivered to Tennessee children.

In the days since Dolly Parton's passing, that legacy continues in mailboxes across our state. Today, approximately 270,000 Tennessee children are enrolled and receive a free, age-appropriate book each month, thanks to a first-in-the-nation public-private partnership between the The Dollywood Foundation, GELF, the State of Tennessee, and local partners in all 95 counties.

"Dolly showed us what is possible when you put a book in a child's hands and believe in what is possible for them," said James Pond, GELF President & CEO. "More than 60 million books later, generations of Tennessee children have grown up with books in their homes because of that simple idea."

Honor her legacy:
📖 Give the gift of reading - https://connect.clickandpledge.com/w/Form/bf26d50d-6b86-43a8-9aa1-9604484f0bc3
📚 Enroll a child - https://governorsfoundation.org/dpil-enrollment
🩷 Read together - https://governorsfoundation.org/

Read the full story and learn how to get involved: https://governorsfoundation.org/news/more-than-60m-books-later-tennessee-carries-forward-dolly-parton-s-imagination-library-legacy-through-a-partnership-built-to-last

08/29/2026

Our President & CEO, James Pond, spoke with Fox 17 this week about Dolly Parton's Imagination Library and the legacy that she left in Tennessee.

Give it a watch, and let us know your favorite Imagination Library book in the comments below. 🩷

James Pond, President of Governor's Early Literacy Foundation, spea...