USA: Tennessee Honors ”Imagination Library“ on Special License Plate

The federal state of Tennessee, which is home to the Dollywood Company and theme park of famous country singer Dolly Parton, has produced a special license plate to honor Parton’s successful “Imagination Library” – a literacy initiative providing children until the age of five years with a free book each month.

The license plate, which can be used on cars and trucks registered within Tennessee, shows the project’s logo, Parton’s likeness and a silhouette of the Great Smoky Mountains in the background. Sales have already started successfully – the preorder requirement of 1,000 preorders, which has to be fulfilled for a special plate to be produced, was quickly reached. Proceeds will support the literacy initiative, which started in 1995 in Parton’s home of Sevier County (TN) and nowadays reaches children beyond the borders of the US as well.

“We could not provide one million books to children each month without the support of local communities around the world,” said David Dotson, Dollywood Foundation President. “Through the funding and awareness the Tennessee Imagination Library license plate will generate, we’re able to inspire even more children here in our home state to love to read,” he said. In 2016, the Imagination Library and its local partners gifted nearly 11.5 million books. (eap)