The United Way of Kankakee & Iroquois Counties is celebrating the one-year anniversary of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in the region, which has distributed 11,415 free books to over 1,500 across Kankakee and Iroquois Counties.

The official anniversary was on April 30, and the United Way said in a news release that the number of books provided smashed its expectations for its debut year.

The program is also made possible by the Success By 6 partnership. Success by 6 is an “early childhood community collaborative dedicated to supporting our community through family and parent engagement, early behavioral and mental health services, and greater awareness of resources for parents, caregivers, and early childhood providers.”

It is jointly funded by the United Way of Kankakee and Iroquois Counties and the Community Foundation of Kankakee River Valley.

The program is free, and it is open for all children under the age of five. Books are available in both Spanish and English.

To register, visit https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/affiliate/ILKANKAKEE/.