Free Books for Kids in Otero County: How to Sign Up
Published 5 November 2026
Every child in Otero County from birth to their fifth birthday can get a free book in the mail every month through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Otero County. There is no cost to families and no income requirement. You sign your child up once, online or by mail, and a new book addressed to them arrives each month.
This is one of my favorite things to tell new parents and military families about. A book with your child's name on the envelope is a little bit of magic, and it costs you nothing.
What is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library?
Dolly Parton started the Imagination Library in 1995 for the children of her home county in East Tennessee. According to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, it now mails more than three million books a month to children around the world.
Each month, every registered child gets a high quality, age appropriate book, addressed to them, at no cost to the family. Local program partners raise the money for the books and shipping in their own area, and here that partner is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Otero County, Inc.
Who can sign up in Otero County?
The local program says it gives books to children from birth to their fifth birthday all throughout Otero County. That includes Alamogordo, Tularosa, La Luz, Cloudcroft and the rest of the county.
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Children from birth to their fifth birthday who live in Otero County |
| Cost to families | Free, with no income requirement |
| What arrives | One age appropriate book a month, mailed to your home |
| How to sign up online | Otero County registration page |
| How to sign up by mail | Print the registration form from that page and mail it to PO Box 4113, Alamogordo, NM 88311 |
| Local program | Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Otero County |
How do I register my child?
Go to the Otero County page on the Imagination Library website and fill out the short online registration form. If you would rather do it on paper, the same page has a printable registration form you can mail to the local program at PO Box 4113, Alamogordo, NM 88311.
Books are mailed to the address you give, so if you move within the county, update your address on the registration page so the books follow you.
Who runs the program here?
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library of Otero County is a local nonprofit. According to NMSU's story on Imagination Library leaders in New Mexico, Ryal McMurry has been president of the Otero County program since 2011. "For a little kid, getting mail is a big deal," McMurry said.
The same story says 32,361 children are registered across New Mexico, and nearly two million books have been mailed through the state's Imagination Library programs.
Where can I sign up in person?
The Kiwanis Club of Alamogordo Noon Club is holding its Pizza with Santa fundraiser on Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pizza 9 in the White Sands Mall. Its flyer lists Dolly Parton's Imagination Library as a special guest, with volunteers there to help families sign up. You can find it, along with other Santa events, on my Alamogordo Christmas lights map.
How can I help?
Because the local program pays for the books and postage in our county, donations keep the books coming. The Otero County registration page has a Donate button, and the local program's website has its mailing address.
What does this mean for families moving here?
If you are relocating or PCSing to Holloman with little ones, sign up as soon as you have your Otero County address. The program enrolls children who live in its own area, so if you move out of the county later, check whether the Imagination Library serves your new home. My Holloman AFB relocation guide has more on settling in, and the library's free kids programs are another great way to keep little readers busy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dolly Parton's Imagination Library free in Otero County?
Yes. Books are free to every registered child, with no income requirement, because the local program raises the money to cover books and shipping.
What ages can get free books from the Imagination Library?
Children can get books from birth until their fifth birthday. Each child gets one age appropriate book a month.
How do I sign up for the Imagination Library in Alamogordo?
Register online on the Imagination Library's Otero County page. You can also print the form there and mail it to PO Box 4113, Alamogordo, NM 88311.
Can military families at Holloman sign up?
Children who live in Otero County can be registered, including military families living in the area. If you move out of the county, check whether the program serves your new address.
Where can I sign up for the Imagination Library in person?
Volunteers plan to help families sign up at Pizza with Santa on Saturday, December 5, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pizza 9 in the White Sands Mall.
Details come from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, the Otero County program's website and registration page, NMSU's story in Organ Mountain News, and the Kiwanis Pizza with Santa flyer, checked 5 November 2026.