Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library
Dolly Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995, in her home county in East Tennessee. The aim, says its website, “was to foster a love of reading among her county’s preschool children and their families” by sending them a book every month.
Dolly “wanted children to be excited about books and to feel the magic that books can create … Moreover, she could ensure that every child would have books, regardless of their family’s income.”
The scheme has been run by a few councils in the UK – but now it’s reached London for the first time, thanks to Southwark council.
As the Southwark website explains, this now means that every child born in the area “is eligible to join our free book scheme. Your baby will receive a book in the post every single month until their fifth birthday. There is absolutely no cost to you.” Council leader Peter John said: “With many families still feeling the pinch it has never been so important to ensure that children have access to books so they can learn and develop as much possible in their early years.
“Our libraries already run some wonderful sessions for the under-five age group, with a huge range of books available for parents to read with their children, but it’s fantastic that this scheme will also allow children and families to start building up a library of their very own.”
As Dolly says,“The magic is inside you. There ain’t no crystal ball.”
Give a Book is looking forward to working with the Imagination Library in the future.