Once a month, Caitlin McCarthy Taylor and her 15-month-old daughter take a trip to the mailbox. Inside is a brand new book and is part of a program started by Dolly Parton.
On Tuesday, Parton died at age 80 following a battle with cancer. A legendary music career isn’t the only legacy she’s leaving behind. She also leaves her Imagination Library, which has delivered thousands of books to New Brunswick children.
For children enrolled in the program, a new book is delivered to their home in the mail once a month up until the age of five, no matter their family’s income.
The program has distributed hundreds of millions of books across Canada, the U.S., Australia, Ireland and United Kingdom.
“We make it a like a bonding experience between her and I,” said McCarthy Taylor.
She’s also a school counsellor, teacher and chairperson of the Woodstock Imagination Library, which has been open for about one year and has helped 400 children.
“I think that it’s so important for every child to have access to books in the community, you know, at daycares, libraries, at school, so in the classrooms and then also in the home.”
In Florenceville-Bristol, the Carleton North Imagination Library has delivered more than 36,000 books to nearly 1,100 children since it opened a decade ago, according to Trish Foster, chair of the local program.
“Dolly Parton lived her life loudly in every way — the hair, the makeup, the clothing, the shoes,” said Foster.
“I think her real legacy is going to be much quieter … It’s going to be in the homes around the world, in the moments when parents are reading to their children, or when siblings are reading to little siblings, when a child’s hand reaches for a book.”
Julie Gallagher, local co-ordinator for the Perth Andover Imagination Library, said the program is especially important for the rural community because their public library is operating at reduced hours and since the program delivers books straight to a child’s home, that also removes the barrier of travel.
Gallagher said her son is also involved in the program and it quickly became “very exciting” to go get the mail and see a book delivered in his name.
“It helps build, you know, the future skills when it comes to not only reading but all forms of academia and knowledge-based learning.”
Gallagher said the program has helped 283 children since it started in 2019 and has delivered 7,707 books.
The program is funded in part by The Dollywood Foundation. However, individual branches within communities must secure some funding and be partnered with a local non-profit organization, Gallagher said.
She said securing funding has been difficult, which has led to 32 children remaining on the waitlist.
“The reality of our world right now is not all families have the ability to spend extra cash and income on a book,” Gallagher said.
Improving literacy
The president of Read Moncton, an organization that helps adults with low literacy skills, said the Imagination Library program can help children get interested in reading at a young age, which is key to improving literacy.
“Literacy is probably one of the biggest things that can impact somebody’s future,” Sheila Bennett said.
According to Bennett, half of New Brunswickers have a low literacy rate, which is comparable to rates across the country. Low literacy rates don’t always mean that a person can’t read, it also means comprehension and critical thinking, she said.
She said in children with low literacy, it’s likely that their parents also have low literacy. However, the Imagination Library could be useful at any age, Bennett said.
“It kind of brings that excitement to the whole family and can kind of give a boost to either the parents or the grandparents to maybe work on their literacy skills as well.”
Source: CBC New Brunswick