Dolly Parton's Book Scheme Expands in London

Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a program that mails a free book each month to children until their fifth birthday, is set to expand its reach in London, doubling the number of boroughs it serves from five to ten.

This expansion will make an additional 157,000 children eligible for the program. The scheme, initially established by the country singer in 1995 as a tribute to her father who was unable to read or write, is funded by the Postcode Lottery. Over seven million books have been delivered to children in the United Kingdom through the Dollywood Foundation.

Harriet Sedrick-Ugo, an early years educator from south London, shared that the monthly books have significantly boosted her four-year-old daughter Sienna's confidence. "We read together every day and that's been made possible because we get a book once a month," Sedrick-Ugo said. "She loves reading for pleasure because we have so many books at home from the Imagination Library."

Sedrick-Ugo also noted that the expansion will alleviate financial pressure on families, stating, "Buying books can be quite expensive, so if they're going to be getting it for free, that would be something a lot of families can benefit from." She described the initiative as "the kindest initiative ever." The Imagination Library operates as a universal program, meaning all children within participating areas can enroll regardless of their family's income.

Jeff Conyers, president of the Dollywood Foundation, stated that Parton would have been "incredibly proud" of the program's growth in London. "Dolly always wanted the Imagination Library to be something that lived on for generations into the future," Conyers said. "She was constantly pushing us about how we get the Imagination Library to more and more children and more and more families." The expansion comes at a time of concern regarding early childhood literacy. Organizers cite figures indicating that the frequency with which children aged four and under are read to has decreased to 41%, down from 64% in 2012. Additionally, teachers have reported that 28% of children starting reception cannot properly engage with books, with some attempting to interact with pages as if they were digital screens.

Clara Govier, managing director of the Postcode Lottery, commented on the program's impact, saying, "Dolly understood the extraordinary power of something very simple: a child, a grown-up and a book." The expansion will be celebrated at the British Library in advance of Give Like Dolly Day on September 25.