Free books for everyone inspired by Dolly Parton’s literacy legacy

Dolly Parton was known around the world for her music, but her legacy extends far beyond the stage.

The country music legend, who died yesterday at age 80 (25 August 2026), was also one of the world's most passionate champions of children's literacy.

In 1995, Dolly launched the Imagination Library, initially providing free books to children in her home county of Sevier County, Tennessee. The inspiration was deeply personal. Her father, Robert Lee Parton, was unable to read or write, and Dolly wanted to make sure children had the opportunity to discover the possibilities that books can open up.

What started as a local project became a worldwide literacy movement.

As of June 2026, the Imagination Library had gifted more than 325 million books to children across the US, UK, Canada, Australia and the Republic of Ireland, with more than 3.5 million books being sent out every month.

Dolly's vision was to make sure children can have books of their own, regardless of their family's income.

That's a message that feels particularly relevant when household budgets are under pressure.

Books shouldn't be a luxury

When money is tight, books can understandably fall down the list of priorities.

Food, energy, rent, transport and other essentials have to come first.

But reading is about much more than entertainment. For children, having books at home can help encourage a love of reading and give them the opportunity to develop language, imagination and confidence. For adults, a good book can provide entertainment, escapism, learning and a welcome break from everyday worries.

The good news is that you don't have to buy books to enjoy them.

There are organisations and community schemes across the UK giving away books for free, while libraries allow you to borrow thousands more without paying anything.

Here are some worth knowing about.

1. Dolly Parton's Imagination Library

It seems only right to start with Dolly's own literacy legacy.

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library sends a carefully selected, age-appropriate book every month to registered children from birth until their fifth birthday.

And the books are genuinely free to families.

The programme has been running in the UK since 2008, with local organisations and community partners funding and delivering the programme in their areas. The books are selected centrally and posted directly to participating children.

The programme isn't available everywhere in the UK yet, but you can check whether it operates in your area by entering your postcode on the Imagination Library UK availability checker. If it isn't available locally, you can also register your interest and be notified if it becomes available.

Who is it for? Children from birth to age five living in participating areas.

How does it work? If your area has a local Imagination Library partner, you register your child and they receive a free book every month until they turn five.

What if it's not available where I live? You can register your interest through the Imagination Library website, or a local organisation can explore becoming a programme partner.

2. GET Free Books

If you're looking for books you can actually take home and keep, GET Free Books is one of the most useful organisations to know about.

Run by the Global Educational Trust, GET Free Books operates physical shops around the UK where donated books are given away free of charge.

Donations are welcome, but there is no requirement to do so - the books themselves are free. The charity says it currently gives away more than one million books every year.

The idea is simple: people donate books they no longer want, the charity gets them back into circulation and other people get to discover them without spending anything.

GET Free Books currently lists shops in locations including:

• Hyde
• Dewsbury
• Glasgow
• Sale
• Bradford
• Chester-le-Street
• High Wycombe
• Lowestoft
• Ipswich
• Loughborough
• Wandsworth
• Bedworth
• Barnet
• Huddersfield
• Castleford
• Carmarthen.

How does it work? Find your nearest GET Free Books shop, visit and choose the books you'd like.

And if you've got books at home you're no longer reading, you can donate them so somebody else gets the chance to enjoy them.

The charity also relies heavily on volunteers, so if you'd like to support the scheme, you can volunteer in one of its shops or help with its work in other ways.

Find out more: Global Educational Trust – GET Free Books

3. Children's Book Project

The Children's Book Project tackles two problems at the same time: children who don't have books of their own, and good-quality books that might otherwise be thrown away.

The charity collects new and pre-loved children's books and gets them into the hands of children through schools and community organisations.

It reached a major milestone in 2025, when the number of books gifted passed two million. Its website currently records more than 2.77 million books gifted.

One of its programmes, Discovery, works with primary schools so children can choose books to take home and keep. The charity also works with other organisations supporting children and families.

How does it work for families? The Children's Book Project doesn't generally operate as a shop where individual families can turn up and collect books. Instead, it works through schools, community groups and other organisations. If you're a parent or carer, ask your child's school, family hub or local community organisation whether they work with the charity.

If you're involved with a school or organisation supporting children, you can apply to receive books through the charity.

And if you've got good-quality children's books your family has outgrown, you can donate them. The charity has a network of book donation points around the UK.

Find out more: Children's Book Project – receive books

4. Bookbanks

If you're already using a food bank, you may be able to pick up something for your bookshelf too.

Bookbanks partners with food banks to run pop-up stalls offering free books - often including brand-new titles.

The organisation currently works with 11 partner food banks across London, East Anglia, the North West and Yorkshire and says it aims to reach 30 food banks nationwide by 2030.

It's a particularly important idea because financial hardship doesn't just affect people's ability to pay for essentials. It can also mean children growing up without books of their own.

How does it work? If you're visiting a participating food bank, check whether it has a Bookbanks stall and when it operates. You can find current locations and opening times on the Bookbanks website.

Find out more: Bookbanks

5. Free Books Campaign

The Free Books Campaign is another organisation worth knowing about, especially if you'd like to discover books by authors of colour.

Founded by Sofia Akel in 2020, the non-profit works to remove barriers to accessing literature and has a particular focus on getting books by authors of colour to people who might otherwise struggle to access them.

It works with publishers to offer brand-new books for free.

The organisation currently says it has donated more than 16,500 brand-new books and offers new free titles through its website.

How does it work? New books are made available through the Free Books Campaign website. You complete a simple request form, with books allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

So if you're looking for something new rather than a second-hand book, it's worth checking regularly.

Find out more: Free Books Campaign

6. BookTrust Bookstart

If you've got a baby or young child, don't miss BookTrust's Bookstart programmes.

Every child in England, Wales and Northern Ireland aged between birth and 12 months is eligible for a free Bookstart Baby pack.

The pack includes a book and resources designed to help parents and carers start sharing stories from the earliest stages of a child's life. Packs are distributed through health visitors, libraries, registrars and other early-years partners.

There are also Bookstart programmes for older pre-school children, and BookTrust Storytime sessions are available through participating libraries.

How does it work? If you have a baby under 12 months, ask your health visitor, registrar, library or local Bookstart coordinator about your free pack.

Find out more: BookTrust – Bookstart

7. Your local library

Of course, we shouldn't forget one of the best free resources available: your local library.

Library membership is free and gives you access to books, children's books and other reading materials. Many libraries also offer free internet access, study space and community activities.

And increasingly, libraries aren't just about physical books.

Depending on where you live, you may be able to borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks digitally, meaning you can read or listen to books without travelling to a library.

How does it work? Join your local library, either online or in person, and borrow books using your library card.

You can find your local library service through GOV.UK's library finder.

Money-saving tip: If you haven't used your library for years, it's worth checking what's available now. Many services offer far more than simply borrowing books.

8. Little Free Libraries

You may have seen small book-sharing boxes outside houses or in community spaces without realising what they were.

Little Free Libraries are free book exchanges where anyone can take a book.

There's no membership and no charge. If you find something you'd like to read, simply take it. When you've finished, you can return it, pass it to someone else or donate another book to a Little Free Library.

You can find Little Free Libraries using the organisation's world map or app.

How does it work? Find your nearest box, browse the books and take one you'd like.

And if you've got books at home you're finished with, give them a second life by adding them to a local exchange.

9. Don't forget community book swaps

There are also countless informal book-sharing schemes that don't necessarily belong to a national organisation.

Look out for bookshelves in:

• community centres
• cafés
• children's centres
• waiting rooms
• workplaces
• community hubs
• schools
• churches and other community organisations.

Some operate as simple take-a-book, leave-a-book schemes, while others give books away outright.

Give your old books another life

There's another simple way you can help keep books circulating. Look at your own bookshelves. Are there books you've read once and are never going to read again? Rather than throwing them away, consider donating them to a charity, library, school or community book exchange.

A book that's gathering dust in your house could become a child's favourite story, help someone discover a new author or simply provide somebody with a few hours of free entertainment.

That's exactly the spirit behind so many of the organisations we've highlighted.

Dolly Parton's greatest legacy may be the joy of reading

Dolly Parton leaves behind an extraordinary musical legacy. But her contribution to literacy may prove just as enduring.

So, in memory of Dolly, why not pick up a book?

And when you've finished, pass it on.

Because perhaps the best way to honour Dolly's remarkable literacy legacy is to keep doing what she did so brilliantly.