Dolly Parton provided books for more than 300 million children. Now, Nashville leaders vow to carry on her legacy with ‘Imagination Library Month’ and initiatives to improve childhood literacy.
Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 – inspired by her father who never learned to read. The program began in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she was raised and soon expanded statewide at the behest of former Gov. Phil Bredesen.
More than thirty years later, families throughout the world can sign up their kids to get one free book every month until their fifth birthday. Books are personalized with the child’s name and sent directly to their homes.
Imagination Library of Middle Tennessee gifted 50,000 kids with books
United Way of Greater Nashville is responsible for raising awareness about the program in Middle Tennessee and getting children signed up by visiting schools, hospitals and early childcare centers.
Erica Mitchell, the organization’s CEO, shared that many of her team members’ children look forward to getting their monthly gifts from “The Book Lady” – a nickname given to Parton.
“One of the young lady’s daughters who receives Imagination Library books said, ‘Mommy, how will I get my books? Who’s going to send me my books?’” Mitchell told WPLN News. “What I love about the sweetness of that is that children connect Dolly to the books.”
Timothy D. Easley AP PhotoDolly Parton died at age 80 Tuesday. Over the course of her life, her vast charitable donations included support of early education and healthcare research.
Mitchell said the books will keep coming as United Way honors Parton’s philosophy that all children should have books in their home, regardless of family income.
Each year, the Imagination Library distributes more than 500,000 books to 50,000 children in Middle Tennessee. This is done through United Way’s partnership with the Governor’s Early Literacy Foundation and the Dollywood Foundation, along with support from community partners.
Mitchell told WPLN News that everyone can help keep Parton’s legacy alive. A donation of $31 will cover the cost of books for a full year for one child. Additionally, Parton’s family has requested that fans pay tribute to the late singer by donating to the Imagination Library in lieu of flowers.
September: Imagination Library Month In Nashville
Mayor Freddie O’Connell said Nashville will carry on Parton’s legacy through the Begin Bright program – Nashville Public Library’s early literacy initiative that sets up children for kindergarten reading success and offers digital training for caregivers and teachers. Vanderbilt University’s Prenatal to 3 Policy Impact Center analyzes the results and provides feedback aimed at improving early literacy.
The program also puts little libraries filled with Parton’s Imagination Library books in every child care center in Nashville. These libraries are already in 69 childcare centers and O’Connell said even more are in the works, making Nashville the first city to make this a permanent program.
“Tennessee is lucky to call Dolly one of our own, but her greatest gift isn’t ‘9 to 5’, ‘My Tennessee Mountain Home’, or even her unique version of ‘Rocky Top’,” he said. “It’s the millions of little moments in living rooms across the world when a child opened a book and discovered a bigger world.”
To further cement Parton’s legacy, O’Connell proclaimed September as the Imagination Library Month in Nashville.
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