Erlanger Hospital Boosted Imagination Library Enrollment
New parents at the Southeast Tennessee hospital can now easily enroll their newborns in the free book program.
Updated on Sept. 22, 2026 in Philanthropy
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Erlanger Hospital has begun facilitating enrollment for Dolly Parton's Imagination Library to help newborns access free monthly books. Volunteers from the hospital's Mother Baby Program are assisting parents with the registration process.
Why it matters
The partnership aims to strengthen early literacy and childhood development by ensuring families have direct access to free reading materials. This initiative expands the reach of a program that supports children from birth through age five.
The Imagination Library program is active across all 95 Tennessee counties and provides a free book each month to eligible children until they reach age 5. In Hamilton County, the initiative has been available through local partners for more than 20 years.
The players
Erlanger Hospital
This Southeast Tennessee medical facility now facilitates enrollment for the literacy program.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library
This philanthropic organization provides free monthly books to children from birth through age 5.
Mother Baby Program
This hospital-based volunteer initiative assists new parents with enrollment in the reading program.
The details
Volunteers working with the Mother Baby Program at Erlanger Hospital now introduce the service to new parents while they are at the facility. This integration simplifies the enrollment process for families throughout Southeast Tennessee.
Timeline
The program has been available in Hamilton County for more than 20 years.
Market Landscape
This partnership mirrors broader efforts to integrate philanthropic literacy initiatives into essential public services across all 95 Tennessee counties. By utilizing clinical settings for outreach, the program solidifies its presence alongside existing long-term providers like Signal Centers.
Parents giving birth at Erlanger Hospital can now sign their newborns up for a free book each month during their hospital stay. This eliminates the need for separate registration and ensures children start receiving books immediately after birth.
The takeaway
Early access to books is a proven way to foster lifelong learning skills in young children. Families are encouraged to speak with hospital volunteers to ensure they do not miss out on this long-running community resource.
Further reading
Learn more about local efforts to support education in our Chattanooga Philanthropy section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WTVC.
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Should your local community offer free monthly book programs to support early childhood literacy?
