How It Works | Imagination Library of San Antonio
Getting Started

Brighter futures,
one book at a time.

Getting your child enrolled takes just a few minutes. Here is everything you need to know — from signing up to watching your child's very own home library grow.

The Process

How it works

1

Check if your ZIP code is open

Enrollment is based on ZIP code. Visit the enrollment page to see if your neighborhood is currently open — and if it is not yet, check back soon.

We are adding new ZIP codes regularly. If yours is not listed today, it may be open within weeks.
Check My ZIP Code
2

Register your child online

Once you confirm your ZIP code is open, registration takes just a few minutes. You will need your child's name, date of birth, and mailing address. That is all. There are no forms to mail, no offices to visit.

You can enroll a child from birth through age four — as long as they will still be under five when books begin arriving, they are eligible.

Books are mailed to children from birth to the month they turn five. Enrolling early means more books and more time to build your home library.
3

A new book arrives every month

Starting the following month, a brand-new book arrives in your mailbox — addressed personally to your child. Every title is carefully curated by an independent panel of early childhood literacy experts, chosen to match your child's developmental stage.

Books range from board books for newborns all the way to illustrated picture books for four-year-olds. Each one comes with an inner flap of engagement ideas to spark conversation and connection around the story.

Books are published by Penguin Random House and selected by Dolly Parton's Blue Ribbon Selection Committee of early literacy experts.
A colorful collection of Imagination Library books

"You can never get enough books into the hands of enough children." — Dolly Parton

Enrollment Area

Is your neighborhood open?

Enrollment is based on ZIP code and we are growing across San Antonio every month. Visit our enrollment page to see if your neighborhood is currently open — the list is always up to date.

Check Your ZIP Code
Questions

Frequently asked questions

Yes — completely free. There is no cost to families at any point. The program is funded by donations from local foundations, businesses, and community members who believe every child deserves access to books.
Children from birth through the month before their fifth birthday are eligible. The earlier you enroll, the more books your child will receive — up to 60 books total by age five.
Every book is carefully curated by Dolly Parton's Blue Ribbon Selection Committee — an independent panel of early childhood literacy experts. Books are age-appropriate, diverse, high-quality, and published exclusively for the Imagination Library by Penguin Random House. Families receive different titles at each age and stage of development.
Most families receive their first book within 8 weeks of enrollment. After that, a new book arrives each month until your child's fifth birthday.
If you move within our covered ZIP codes, simply update your address through the enrollment portal. If you move outside our coverage area, contact us and we will do our best to help connect you with the Imagination Library program in your new community.
Absolutely. Any adult who is the primary caregiver of a child living in a covered ZIP code can enroll that child. Grandparents, foster parents, guardians — all are welcome.

Ready to get started?

Check your ZIP code and enroll your child today. Your first book typically arrives within 8 weeks of enrollment.

Enroll Your Child
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