Helping to foster a love of reading among thousands of Cork children

IMAGINE, as a young child, receiving a new book in the post every month, addressed to you. For children enrolled in the Dolly Parton Imagination Library this is exactly what happens, explains Michelle Keane, programme coordinator of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library in the Mahon area.

“The programme is open to all children in the Mahon area from birth to the age of five.

“Every month they get a book in the post addressed to them. The books are of a high quality and are age appropriate,” said Michelle.

“What we’re hoping the programme will do is to foster a love of reading in children, and help them to build their own library of books.”

By the end of their time in the programme at age five, every child will have been gifted a total of 60 books. And these aren’t randomly selected, second-hand books, says Michelle.

The books are shiny new books that have been carefully selected to suit every child’s age. These aren’t leftover books.

In fact, a partnership with Penguin Random House in 2005 means all the books delivered under the Dolly Parton Imagination Library are from the Penguin catalogue. New books and classics, fiction and non-fiction, educational and fun. The books are chosen by an expert selection committee and the selection is refreshed every year.

“This means that if you have more than one child, they’re not all getting the same book. Each child in your family will get their own book and it will be different from their sibling.

“This is great because your family will be able to build up a lovely library of great quality books that you can read with your children,” explains Michelle.

Dolly Parton established the programme in 1995 in her home county of Sevier in Tennessee. She was inspired by her father, who never learned to read, but who created stories for her. The programme grew quickly in the U.S and has expanded globally to cover five countries. In 2019, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library was launched in Dublin, and it was brought to Cork in 2020.

The scope of the programme is incredible. In all, more than three million children in the U.S, the UK, Australia, Canada and Ireland receive monthly books. Almost a quarter of a billion books have been sent out since the programme’s launch in 1995. Here in Cork, around 2,300 children are currently receiving their books each month, or have already graduated from the programme.

For Michelle, the programme is personal. Her granddaughter is enrolled in the programme and receives her book every month.

“My granddaughter loves getting her book in the post with her name on it. And because she knows I run the programme in Mahon where we live, she thinks the book is coming from me. That has created a special connection between us.

“The beauty of this programme is how inclusive it is. Every child is entitled to their book every month. There is no catch,” explains Michelle.

This is a genuine programme that is all about developing a love of reading in our children and giving them access to books, their own books.

Like with all the individual Dolly Parton Imagination Library programmes around the world, the one in Mahon is funded by a variety of parties, including the Cork City Partnership and Let’s Grow Together! Infant and Childhood Partnerships.

“There are a number of other areas running the programme too including the nNorth-west sector of Cork City, Carrigtwohill, Ashbourne House and Kinsale Road Accommodation Centre. And those of us managing the project in each area call ourselves ‘the Dollies’,” says Michelle.

“My job as the programme co-ordinator is to tell people about the programme first of all. Then it’s important that I build up a relationship with them; some people aren’t used to getting something like this for free. You do need to be gentle when you’re supporting people.

Books will never go out of fashion. And this project is a brilliant way to encourage children to love reading.

“The book they get every month is a tangible thing, just for them. And it’ll never go to waste. I encourage people to pay it forward, maybe donate the books to schools or a library when they’ve outgrown them.”

Michelle has been involved in community development in one way or another for years.

“I’m so proud of the work I do, and I particularly love this project. I’m always talking about my job and what I do; my kids have grown up listening to me, but that’s great, they know, and now my granddaughter knows that what I do is help people in my community,” said Michelle.