Forty families registered their children for free books through Clay County's Imagination Library chapter in the hours after Dolly Parton's death Tuesday, Aug. 25.

Pat Litterick, a retired teacher who serves as secretary-treasurer of Clay County Early Literacy, Incorporated, told Action News Jax on Wednesday, Aug. 26, that the nonprofit had 980 children enrolled as of the night Parton died. By the next morning, 40 more had signed up.

"We have 980 as of last night … But we just got a message today when we looked on our website: 40 children have registered since last night," Litterick said. "So people are hearing more about it."

The program mails one free book per month to registered children from birth until age five. Clay County Early Literacy has distributed more than 50,000 books since launching in 2022 across three ZIP codes: 32234, 32043 and 32073, which covers Orange Park.

Each book costs the nonprofit $2.60 plus postage, Litterick said. Mailing costs have risen over the years.

Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, Robert Lee Parton, who could not read or write. The program has since distributed more than 300 million books worldwide and now reaches 1 in 6 U.S. children under age 5, according to The Hill. A Dollywood Company spokesperson confirmed the program will continue sending books following Parton's death.

Every child enrolled in the Clay County chapter receives a customized edition of "The Little Engine That Could" as their first book. The final book, sent when a child turns five, is "Lookout, Kindergarten, Here I Come!" Enrolled children previously received two bilingual English-Spanish books per year. Starting in August 2026, parents can opt to receive a bilingual book every month instead.

Litterick said the Middleburg-based nonprofit hopes to expand to additional ZIP codes in Northeast Florida.

New registrations take about one month to process before the first book arrives. Families in the 32073, 32043 or 32234 ZIP codes can check availability and sign up on the Imagination Library website.