All children under five can get a free book every month
Santa Clara County, CA. October 1, 2025 – The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) is partnering with music legend, global philanthropist and cultural icon Dolly Parton to bring her Imagination Library to Santa Clara County. This worldwide effort mails free, high-quality, age-appropriate books to children under the age of 5 every month, with a goal of sparking a lifetime love of reading.
“We are delighted to bring this wonderful program to the youngest residents throughout Santa Clara County,” said County Librarian Jennifer Weeks. “Building a home library, reading to children starting at birth, and introducing families to their public library are important ways to help our littlest learners become successful readers!”
To participate, families can sign up their children ages 0-5 at sccld.org/imaginationlibrary/. All children under the age of five living in Santa Clara County are invited to be part of the free program. Residents do not need to have a public library card, though they are strongly encouraged, regardless of age, to get a library card with their local library.
Imagination Library titles are available in English or Spanish. Books arrive approximately 8-12 weeks after registration, so those who sign up in October will receive their first books in time for the winter holidays. Children will continue to receive a new book every month until they turn five years of age.
Alongside SCCLD, the organizations bringing this program to fruition through critical funding are the Santa Clara County Library District Foundation, the Gilroy Foundation, and the Susie Seledon Literacy Fund. In California, the Imagination Library is supported by a state match of 50%, administered through the California State Library. The key partner organizations include the Rotary Club District 5170, Los Gatos Library, City of Mountain View Public Library, Palo Alto City Library, San Jose Public Library, Santa Clara City Library, and the Sunnyvale Public Library.
Support childhood literacy by signing up your child at sccld.org/imaginationlibrary, spreading the word throughout every community in Santa Clara County, and visiting your local library!
About the Santa Clara County Library District
The Santa Clara County Library District (SCCLD) promotes knowledge, ideas, and cultural enrichment. Founded in 1914, its collection includes more than 2.3 million books, audiobooks, eBooks and extensive online resources accessible from anywhere with an internet connection.
The Library Journal has repeatedly recognized SCCLD as one of America’s Star Libraries, rating it as a 5-Star library in their 2022 Index of Public Library Service. SCCLD was one of only five library systems in the United States with expenditures over $30 million given this honor. In 2014 and 2019, SCCLD won Innovator Awards from the Urban Libraries Council. SCCLD also received a Challenge Award in 2019 from the California State Association of Counties and an Innovative Project of the Year Award (Large District) from the California Special Districts Association in 2020.
SCCLD includes two bookmobiles, an online library, seven community libraries and one branch library, serving the cities of Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Saratoga, and the unincorporated areas of Santa Clara County. In Calendar Year 2024, SCCLD had over 390,000 library accounts, more than 1.9 million unique website visits, and a circulation of over 11.6 million items. Program attendance was over 256,000.
