Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library gives children the gift of reading

“Reading books showed me that there was something better, something other, out there.” These words from comedian and author Billy Connelly have never rung truer. As we find ourselves looking for ways to bring joy to our communities, housing associations across Scotland are helping children find a world of possibilities in books delivered from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.

Each month, the Imagination Library provides a high-quality, age-appropriate book, delivered directly to the family home. Children build their own home library, of up to 60 books, from the month they are born until their fifth birthday. Working alongside hundreds of organisations, the Imagination Library continues to bring joy to families during lockdown, sending over one million books across the world every single month.

Housing associations have been signing up to the scheme for several years, including Almond Housing Association, which has been helping families build their own home libraries since 2017.

Barbara Boertien, Almond Community Engagement Officer said: “Almond Housing Association is proud to be a long-term affiliate of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.

"Our tenants regularly tell us how wonderful it is to see their child’s face light up when they receive their next book.

"Our involvement reinforces our commitment to deliver great services for our tenants and, at this challenging time, we are delighted that we can continue to support our youngest children to build their very own library of books.”

The story of the Imagination Library began in 1995 when the first book dropped through a letterbox near Dolly Parton’s 'Tennessee Mountain Home'. Inspired by her father, who could not read or write, Dolly wanted to support children in her community, so they would not face the same hardships that he did. She became determined to give the gift of reading through her charity, The Dollywood Foundation.

Dolly believes that access to books can help make a child’s dreams come true, and research agrees. In fact, a love of books and reading for pleasure is a better predictor of success at school than parents’ education level or income. But, sadly, we know that almost 400,000 children in the UK do not own a single book, a statistic that the Dollywood Foundation is determined to change.  

Kirsty Hill, Regional Director for The Dollywood Foundation UK, said: “The Imagination Library is making a difference to thousands of lives across the UK.

"Working with partners who are just as committed to giving children the best chance to succeed means we can reach far more families than we would on our own.

"We are privileged to be part of housing associations’ commitment to support their communities and their response to the ongoing crisis.”

Queens Cross Housing Association is one of the Imagination Library’s newest partners and sent its first books just as the UK entered lockdown.

Nicola McGrath, Youth Co-Ordinator for the association, said: "Normally, we have many opportunities to spend time with families in our communities, but many of our usual ways to connect have been cut off. The Imagination Library has given us a unique opportunity to reach out and let families know we are still thinking about them, all while supporting their child's development and education." 

It has never been more important to help families share a story, escape to a new world for a moment and create happy memories. And, now more than ever, we need to do what we can to make sure children have the chance to flourish.

To find out more about the Imagination Library and how you can bring it to your community, contact Kirsty Hill, Regional Director khill@imaginationlibrary.co.uk or visit imaginat