The Dolly Parton Imagination Library

A CUMBERLAND LITERACY SUCCESS STORY CONTINUES

There’s nothing quite like a satisfying conclusion to a good book — well, maybe a good cliffhanger too? There’s nothing quite so dramatic happening with the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Cumberland County, but the highly successful program that delivers free books to children is experiencing, shall we say, a plot twist.

Cathy Bates, a Malagash woman who championed the Imagination Library’s launch here in Cumberland County nearly two years ago, is — reluctantly — moving on.

Speaking with Six Rivers radio host, Bill Martin, Bates announced she is moving from the area but is hoping that another local volunteer, with a love for literacy, will step in to keep the initiative going.

Since it began here in early 2022, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library has seen nearly 600 children signed up to receive a free book each month from the programme, and Bates expects that number to reach nearly 800 this year.  She says the fundraising effort has been successful, with costs for the next year’s worth of books covered. 

Bates says the programme is in great shape and ready for a smooth transition to the next local literacy champion. She is committed to serving as a mentor to whomever steps up to keep the Imagination Library going.

Overseen by the Dollywood Foundation of Canada, the Imagination Library mails out a free book monthly to children up to the age of five years, at which point they would benefit from their local school library. A child enrolled at birth could collect a personal library of some 60 books — all age-appropriate and chosen by a national panel of early childhood literacy experts. 

Bates says the gift of books has enormous benefits for young children and their families — early access to age-appropriate reading material can help in identifying any developmental issues a child may be experiencing long before they interact with the formal school system. That means families can seek out support early and help get the kids up to speed for when formal schooling begins.

As the local promoter for the Imagination Library, Bates worked with the Cumberland Regional Libraries and many others to reach out to parents and caregivers of young children. Registration is free, and all expenses are covered by local fundraising and sponsors. 

A $45 donation per year will see twelve books per year mailed directly to kids, who are excited to be receiving their own package in the mailbox. 

While the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is a recent initiative in Cumberland County, it’s been operating since 1995 worldwide, and has gifted over 176-million books to children, currently sending 1.9-million books each month.

Six Rivers News was an early supporter of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, providing free advertising and news coverage of the initiative from the day of its launch. News Director Bill Martin is committed to continuing that support when the reins are handed over to a new local champion. 

In reviewing the ad-counter for the Six Rivers campaign, Martin notes the Imagination Library captured well beyond 400-thousand views in just over a year!

Undoubtedly, part of the appeal to Martin is the occasional loan of a life-size, cardboard, cut-out of Dolly Parton who he has managed to slip into the background of the occasional Zoom conference call and other local events. 

It’s an opportunity to help raise awareness of the Imagination Library initiative whenever “Dolly” is noticed. 

And of course, who doesn’t like Dolly?  Bates says people enjoy seeing the Dolly stand-in as she’s been travelling around the county, offering photo-ops to folks drawn in by the diminutive singer and social phenomenon.

If you would like to know more about the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in Cumberland County, how to enrol your children or how to donate to this amazingly good cause, follow the links below. 

To connect with Cathy Bates directly to learn more about volunteering as its local promoter, email: cathybates1212@gmail.com.

Previous Six Rivers News coverage of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library is under the community tab at www.sixrivers.ca.

The photo shows Dolly and Cathy Bates receiving a donation from the Municipality of Cumberland with Parrsboro Councillor Carrie Goodwin at left and Mayor Murray Scott at right.

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