Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free book-gifting program devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children.
30 November 2023
A pilot phase of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has been launched in Belconnen.
Started by the famous singer in the US in 1995, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is a free book-gifting program devoted to inspiring a love of reading in children.
A committed group of stakeholders from ACT Government and community organisations collaborated to create Imagination Library Kippax, which services Holt, Higgins, MacGregor and Latham.
The group has secured funding to provide books to 146 children for two years.
These families have a free, age-appropriate book delivered to their home each month, plus a tip sheet to help them engage with the books.
The Imagination Library Evatt/McKellar pilot has also commenced via the Evatt Primary School Family Connect program.
Pilot suburbs were selected due to Australian Early Development Census (AEDC) data that identified higher developmental vulnerability in children in these areas.
“Libraries ACT is excited to be partnering with so many like-minded community partners and other Government directorates to bring the Imagination Library to the ACT,” Penny Davies from Libraries ACT said.
“Children learn best through everyday activities like singing, talking and playing games. Normalising reading as a daily activity is an important part of this. Reading aloud to children starting at birth helps build brain connections during the formation of the critical early years.
“Public libraries play an important role in the development of early childhood literacy and the Imagination Library is a wonderful addition to the range of resources and programs available to families,” she said.
While the Imagination Library program was introduced to Australia in 2013, it is new to the ACT.
The Imagination Library of Australia has shown outstanding results, including increasing the amount of time parents read with their child.
In Tamworth alone, babies’ enrolments at public libraries increased by 1000 per cent.
The program now operates in every state and territory excluding Tasmania.
Local families with children aged 0-3 can access the Imagination Library via local community partners, including Early Family Support (EFS) and Maternal and Child Health (MACH) services, Uniting Children and Families ACT, Capital Region Community Services (CRCS), HIPPY Australia, and The Smith Family.
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