KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A new milestone has been reached by Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in its mission of getting books to young children and to celebrate the new milestone, the book-gifting nonprofit marked the occasion with Direct Mail Services this week.

“For the last 28 years, partners like Direct Mail Services in Knoxville, TN, have helped us deliver a high-quality program to families in the USA,” Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library shared in an April 3 post. “DMS mailed the very first Imagination Library book and this year, we are thrilled to announce DMS has officially mailed over 200 Million Imagination Library books!”

As of March 2023, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has gifted 204,274,622 books to children across five countries through almost 3,000 local program partners. This milestone has been reached following its inception in Sevier County, Tenn. in the mid-1990s.

“Thank you for growing with us on this amazing journey and we look forward to many more years ahead,” the Imagination Library said in its April 3 post, which features a photo of DMS representatives holding a banner featuring bold print reading “200 Million Books Mailed” along with Dolly Parton holding Imagination Library books.

East Tennessee treasure and international icon Dolly Parton has long said her love for books, reading and personal mission to grow the literacy rate for children has been close to her heart.

Parton’s love of books and sharing them with children through her Imagination Library has been an ongoing passion project for the superstar since its 1995 launch in Sevier County. The organization then expanded to offer books to children across the country, then internationally. By 2003, it had mailed one million books. By 2020, it had gifted its 150 millionth book.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library gifts books in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, the United Kingdom and of course the United States. The book-gifting group mails free, high-quality books to children from birth to age 5 years old regardless of their family’s income. Families can check availability here.