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Libraries lost a staunch and much beloved ally with the death of Dolly Parton on August 25^th.  Parton founded her Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father.  Though she considered him the smartest man she ever knew, he never attended school and therefore never learned to read.  Robert Lee Parton lived to the year 2000 and loved that little children called his daughter the “book lady.” 

I’m lucky enough to live in Ohio, which offers the Imagination Library on a state level. My library system works closely with our county’s Imagination Library lead.  We have registration forms at our branches and regular mention registering in our programs and outreach. 

The Imagination Library is in five countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, and Australia.  An international study of the impacts of the program yielded some interesting results that were steady across all five countries:

• The program closed literacy gaps that persist throughout the school years.  In fact, after just receiving 10 books—not even a year into the program—children in the program were four times more likely to demonstrate stronger early literacy skills.
• Participating children were nine times more likely to be read to four or more days per week.
• Children were more likely to enjoy books and engage in meaningful interactions surrounding books.
• The Imagination Library encourages family reading and builds a reading culture inside the home. 

In 2022, Parton was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Philanthropy for all her philanthropic work, including the Imagination Library.  On the website entry for this award, the Carnegie Family of institutions stated:

In The Gospel of Wealth, Andrew Carnegie urges us to ponder this question: Because of the life you are living, has “one small part of the great world … been bettered just a little”? The Selection Committee of the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy salutes Dolly Parton, who has done more than “a little.” With her philanthropy and her artistry, she has empowered and lifted up the citizens of her Tennessee home county as well as millions more around the world. We believe that her many philanthropic achievements embody the values of our founder, who, with us, would surely greet Parton with “affection, gratitude, and admiration.”

Thanks, Dolly.  Rest well.

This post addresses the core competencies of I. Commitment to Client Group and V. Outreach and Advocacy.

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