Does Dolly Parton's Imagination Library accept used-book donations in Albuquerque?

No — and not because they're rejecting your books, but because that's not how the program works. The Imagination Library's entire model is to MAIL brand-new, age-appropriate books monthly to enrolled children ages 0 through 5, in their own homes, in their own names. Books come from a centrally curated catalog (chosen by a national book-selection committee) and are shipped by Penguin Random House. Used books don't fit into that pipeline. If you want to financially support the program in your community, that's done through cash donations to the local affiliate that funds the mailings — not through book drop-offs. If you have USED children's books, you need a different route — and NMLP free pickup is the simplest one in the Albuquerque metro.

How does Dolly Parton's Imagination Library actually work?

A local 'Affiliate' (a community organization, school district, library system, or hospital — varies by community) signs an agreement with the Dollywood Foundation to bring the program to a defined geography. The Affiliate raises money locally to pay for the books and shipping. Families with kids ages 0–5 in the covered area enroll for free. Each enrolled child gets one new age-appropriate book mailed home every month from birth (or enrollment) through their 5th birthday. The book selection is curated by a national committee; titles include classics and new releases. The program is funded by a mix of the local Affiliate's fundraising and a partial subsidy from the Dollywood Foundation.

How do I enroll my child or support the program in Albuquerque?

The local Albuquerque-area Affiliate for the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is Libros for Kids, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit at 2052 Calle Pajaro Azul NW Albuquerque NM 87120, phone (505) 897-5025, website librosforkids.org. Enrollment for eligible Bernalillo County children ages 0-5 is free; sign up at librosforkids.org/sign-up. If you want to financially support the program in the Albuquerque area, donate directly to Libros for Kids — that funds the new-book purchases and mailing infrastructure for ABQ kids. Libros for Kids has distributed more than 280,000 new books to Bernalillo County kids between 2018 and 2024 and runs the annual New Mexico Children's Book Fair.

Where do used children's books in Albuquerque actually go?

NMLP free pickup is the route most donors actually want. Any quantity, any condition, in-home pickup, no fee. Children's books in good condition route directly to APS Title I schools that have requested specific grade-level material, to the metro's network of Little Free Libraries (active restocking route), to family shelters with children's programs, and to organizations serving refugee-resettled families. For a tax-deductible alternative, the Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library accepts book donations and is a 501(c)(3).

What's the difference between Imagination Library and NMLP?

Different sides of the same goal. Imagination Library puts brand-new books into kids' hands by mail — the donor input is cash, the output is enrollment-driven monthly mailings. NMLP handles the OTHER side: getting used children's books out of donor closets and into the schools, Little Free Libraries, and family-serving programs that need them. Both contribute to kids reading; they're not in competition because they operate on different ends of the supply chain.

Imagination Library • NEW Books by Mail • Used Books Need a Different Route

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library — Want to Donate Used Books?

Quick honest answer: the Imagination Library mails brand-NEW books from a curated national catalog. It doesn't accept used-book donations because that's not how the model works. If you have used kids' books to give in the Albuquerque metro, NMLP picks them up free and routes them to APS Title I schools, Little Free Libraries, and family shelters.

Call or Text 702-496-4214 Schedule a Free Pickup

Quick answer: Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a brand-new-books-by-mail program for kids ages 0–5. It doesn't accept used-book donations because the model is centrally curated new-book shipments via Penguin Random House, not local drop-offs. If you have used children's books in the Albuquerque metro, NMLP free pickup takes any quantity and routes them to APS Title I schools, the metro's Little Free Libraries, and family shelters. Call or text 702-496-4214.

How the Imagination Library Actually Works

Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in Sevier County, Tennessee, after watching her father struggle with literacy his whole life. The program has since grown into a massive international operation, mailing more than 250 million books to enrolled children. The model is unusual and important to understand if you want to support it correctly:

A local Affiliate — usually a community foundation, school district, library system, hospital, United Way chapter, or independent literacy nonprofit — signs an agreement with the Dollywood Foundation to bring the program to a defined geography. In the Albuquerque area, the local DPIL Affiliate is Libros for Kids (501(c)(3) at 2052 Calle Pajaro Azul NW, (505) 897-5025) — they fund and administer the DPIL program for enrolled Bernalillo County kids 0–5.
The Affiliate raises money locally to fund the books and shipping for kids in their coverage area.
Families enroll their kids (ages birth through 5) for free if their area is covered.
Each enrolled child gets one brand-new age-appropriate book mailed home every month, in their own name, from birth (or enrollment) through their 5th birthday.
The books come from a centrally curated catalog selected by a Blue Ribbon Book Selection Committee. Shipping is handled by Penguin Random House under contract.

This is why the program doesn't take used books: there's no logistical path for individual donations to enter the supply chain. The supply chain runs from Penguin Random House → mail → enrolled child's home address. There's no warehouse for used books because the program never touches used books anywhere in its workflow.

Three Ways to Actually Support Imagination Library in Albuquerque

Enroll your own kid (free if your area is covered). The local ABQ Affiliate is Libros for Kids — enrollment for Bernalillo County kids 0–5 is at librosforkids.org/sign-up. Or check imaginationlibrary.com/usa for the latest coverage details.
Make a cash donation to Libros for Kids (the local Affiliate). The Affiliate funds the new-book purchases and mailing infrastructure for ABQ-area kids; without that funding, the program can't enroll new children. Donate at librosforkids.org. Libros for Kids has mailed more than 280,000 new books to Bernalillo County children ages 0–5 between 2018 and 2024.
Spread the word to families with young kids. The biggest gap in most coverage areas isn't funding, it's enrollment — families who qualify don't know about it. Telling a young-parent friend is concrete support.

None of those involve used books. If used books are what you have, keep reading.

If You Have Used Kids' Books, Here's the Real Route

NMLP free pickup is the practical answer. Any quantity, any condition, in-home pickup, no fee, no tax deduction (NMLP is for-profit). Children's books from your pickup route through the warehouse to:

APS Title I schools. Schools serving high-poverty populations have specific grade-level needs and active librarians asking for material.
Little Free Libraries. The Albuquerque metro has dozens of LFLs. Children's books are the highest-turnover category at most of them. NMLP runs an active restocking route — see a recent restock.
Family shelters and children's services. Bilingual and Spanish-language books have specific high demand at family-shelter children's programs.
Pediatric clinic waiting rooms. Some local pediatric offices keep a small lending shelf; NMLP supplies replenishment when requested.

For a tax-deductible alternative, the Friends of the Albuquerque Public Library is a 501(c)(3) and accepts book donations at the main library and several branches. Their sales fund library programs including children's literacy work in the metro.

Imagination Library vs. NMLP — Different Sides of the Same Goal

There's no competition between Imagination Library and NMLP because the two operations live on opposite ends of the children's-book supply chain:

Imagination Library puts brand-new books into kids' hands by mail. Donor input: cash. Output: monthly enrollment mailings.
NMLP moves used books from donor closets to the local programs that need them — APS Title I, Little Free Libraries, family shelters. Donor input: used books + free pickup. Output: routed distribution.

If you want to give cash to put new books in kids' hands by mail: Imagination Library. If you want to clear a bookshelf and have those books reach local kids: NMLP. Many supporters do both.

Related guides

The Kids' Books in Your Closet Still Have Work to Do

Imagination Library can't take them. The schools, Little Free Libraries, and family shelters in the Albuquerque metro can. NMLP picks them up free.

Call or Text 702-496-4214

Josh Eldred — NMLP — Free children's book pickup across the Albuquerque metro.