Dolly Parton’s literacy legacy lives on in New Hanover County

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Dolly Parton’s legacy extends far beyond her music, touching thousands of children and families in New Hanover County through her commitment to early literacy.

Following Parton’s death, local leaders are remembering the impact of her Imagination Library program, which she founded in 1995 in honor of her father, who could not read or write.

What began as an effort to provide books to children in Tennessee has grown into an international program that has distributed more than 300 million books.

Smart Start of New Hanover County began partnering with the program in 2017.

Today, about 4,000 children in the county participate. Since the program began in the Cape Fear region, about 15,000 children have taken part.

Children younger than 5 who are registered for the program receive a free, age-appropriate book mailed to their homes each month.

“It is a wonderful, free way for children in the county to get books,” Smart Start said. “That access to free books is essential for children being able to learn and grow and be their most healthy selves in their first 2,000 days of life.”

Smart Start officials say Parton understood that giving a child a book meant allowing them to imagine, connect, and dream.