As a Nashville native, Josh has seen the program grow across the region. Now, as a dad, he gets to experience its impact in a deeply personal way through his daughter, Olive.
Olive is three years old, curious, playful and proud of the books that arrive just for her. The simple joy of seeing her name on a book in the mailbox helps make reading feel exciting, personal and fun.
Josh remembers signing Olive up while she was still a baby at the hospital. Nurses shared how families could enroll in Imagination Library so children could begin receiving books from the very start of life. That early introduction opened the door to regular reading moments at home.
In partnership with the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation and The Dollywood Foundation, Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee provides age-appropriate, high-quality books to children from birth to age five at no cost to families. Each month, enrolled children receive a book mailed directly to their home, helping families build a home library one story at a time.
Why It Matters
Reading together in the earliest years helps children build language, connection and confidence. For families like Josh’s, the program is more than a monthly delivery. It is a reminder to slow down, sit together and share a story.
Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee has distributed more than 500,000 books to more than 50,000 children throughout the region, helping spark a love of reading before children ever enter kindergarten.
Help More Children Discover the Joy of Books
Every book delivered is an invitation: to imagine, to learn and to spend meaningful time together. By supporting Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee, you help ensure more children across our community can experience the excitement Olive feels when a new book arrives in the mail.
Enroll, donate or learn more today to help inspire a lifelong love of reading for children across Middle Tennessee.