DAWSON CREEK, B.C. - Families in Dawson Creek can expect to keep receiving free books through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library despite the recent death of country music icon.
According to Pamela Morris, Director of the Dawson Creek Public Library, the organization has received confirmation from the foundation behind the program, that the initiative will continue.
“We had an email from the Dollywood Foundation and the initiative will continue,” Morris said.
The literacy program, which has been operating in partnership with the Dawson Creek Public Library since 2018, mails free books to registered children each month from birth until they reach school age. The goal is to encourage early literacy and foster a lifelong love of reading.
The program has had a significant impact locally. Morris said in the past six years, 45,528 books have been delivered through the initiative, with about 400 children in Dawson Creek and the surrounding area currently receiving books.
“If you can get books in the hands of children before they reach kindergarten, it makes such a huge difference,” Morris said.
She added that families regularly share positive feedback about the program.
“We love to see kids reading and we hear from parents all the time about how excited their kids are when their books arrive,” Morris said.
The reassurance comes days after Parton’s death. The beloved singer, songwriter and philanthropist died August 25 at the age of 80.
Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 to improve childhood literacy and expand access to books. The program has since grown into an international initiative serving children in communities across Canada, the United States and several other countries.
For families in Dawson Creek, Morris said the continuation of the program ensures hundreds of local children will keep receiving age-appropriate books delivered directly to their homes, helping build literacy skills before they enter the classroom.