It is no secret that Dolly Parton is an American treasure. Between her Bald Eagle reserve at Dollywood and $1 million donation to the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine research, Parton has held and maintained her spot as an angelic figure and philanthropist.
If that wasn’t enough, Parton began her children’s literacy program, the Imagination Library, in 1995. The program was inspired by her father, who experienced illiteracy, and by the lack of reading resources in her hometown. It has since grown into an international organization, reaching all 50 states and Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom. As of now, over 1.7 million kids have been registered for the Imagination Library and 150 million books have been gifted.
Now, her imagination has reached Campbell County in Kentucky.
The program — made available via a partnership with the Campbell County Public Library, local schools and independent school districts in Bellevue, Dayton, Fort Thomas and Newport — mails a monthly age-appropriate book to children under the age of 5, free of charge. It may seem too good to be true, but it’s not.
The purpose of the Imagination Library is to “help children become ‘reading ready’ by the time they start kindergarten.” A committee, organized by Parton, made up of parents, teachers, child development specialists, librarians and publishers make the book selections based on “age appropriateness” and the presence of positive themes such as “promotion of self-esteem and confidence, regard for diversity and appreciation of art.”
“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true,” Parton says of the program. “I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer. The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.”
Families who live in Campbell County can sign their children up online or at any of the Campbell County Library branches or online. If you do not have a child under 5 but are interested in sponsoring a child, you can for just $25 a year.
For more information, visit cc-pl.org/imagination-library.
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This article appears in Jan 1-31, 2021.