DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY UK NOW OPERATING IN ALL 32 LOCAL AUTHORITIES ACROSS SCOTLAND

 

 

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library UK is celebrating a very special milestone with the announcement that all 32 Local Authorities, in Scotland, are enrolling Looked After and Accommodated Children, under five, onto the pre-school literacy book gifting programme.

Dolly Parton launched the UK Imagination Library in December 2007.  The Imagination Library aims to inspire a love of reading from the earliest possible age by providing a free age appropriate book, delivered to the child’s home each month, from the time they are born until they reach the age of five.

 

Since the first Local Authorities in Scotland became part of the scheme in 2011 over 100,000 books have been delivered to 2700+ Looked After and Accommodated Children. Recent research found that receiving the books is helping carers and parents to engage the children in reading and also assists with wider bonding activities.

The Scottish Book Trust also supports the delivery of books through the Imagination Library with Local Authorities. As the Trust celebrates its Bookbug Week, Dolly Parton has recorded a special video message on the importance of sharing songs and stories from birth and has also contributed a special bonus track, “I Believe in You” to the new Bookbug Toddler CD . 

Dolly Parton said: “I’m delighted that through working with the Scottish Government and Scottish Book Trust the Imagination Library will now be delivering books to every Looked After Child under five in Scotland.”

Commenting on her song being added to the Bookbug Toddler CD, Dolly Parton added: “I think it’s wonderful that every new born child in Scotland will now be given the gift of song. I believe that if every child grows up with a song in their heart and a book in their hand, then there’s a pretty good chance that their dreams will come true.”

Dolly Parton UK Imagination Library across the UK

In addition to children in Scotland, Looked After Children in England are also benefitting from the scheme with under-fives in North Yorkshire, Bradford, Gloucester and Salford also receiving a book a month.

Over 100 communities and businesses in the UK are now part of the programme and over a million books have been delivered to children in communities ranging from the heart of London to Nottingham and North Lincolnshire. Almost ten years on from its UK launch the Imagination Library has helped tens of thousands of children develop a love of reading from the earliest possible age.

The Imagination Library has delivered over 70 million books across the US, Canada, Australia and the UK since the programme was launched for children in Dolly’s home county of Sevier, Tennessee in 1996.

 

Dolly Parton Imagination Library UK Conference – 9th June

 

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library will be holding its UK conference on 9th June at the Nottingham Conference Centre, Burton Street, Nottingham, NG1 4BU.

 

The agenda for the “Exploring Evidence, Inspiring Imagination” conference includes international speakers who will reveal an insight into the benefits of the UK Imagination Library, and also the introduction of picture books from the earliest possible age. Representatives from the Dolly Parton Imagination Library team and the communities it serves in the UK will explain how the Imagination Library is helping to improve the literacy skills of pre-school children.

 

The conference is open to anyone who would like to learn more about the work of the library or who is interested in sponsoring the Imagination Library in their community.

 

Anyone wishing to enrol or find out more about the conference should visit https://dpiluk.eventbrite.com