Dolly Parton free book scheme to expand in London — SkimNews
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- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is doubling from 5 to 10 London boroughs, funded by the Postcode Lottery, making 157,000 children eligible for a free monthly book until age five.
- The expansion comes a month after Parton's death at age 80; she set up the library in 1995 in tribute to her father, who could not read or write.
- The Dollywood Foundation reports that more than seven million books have been delivered to UK children through the programme, which is universal and not means-tested.
- South London parent Harriet Sedrick-Ugo said the monthly books gave her four-year-old daughter "a lot more confidence" and called the scheme "the kindest initiative ever."
- Figures cited by the organisers show only 41% of children aged four and under are now read to frequently, down from 64% in 2012, and 28% of children starting reception try to swipe book pages as if they were a touchscreen.
- The expansion is being marked with a celebration at the British Library ahead of Give Like Dolly Day on 25 September.
Why it matters: The expansion brings free monthly books to 157,000 more children without an income test, directly targeting a literacy backdrop where 41% of under-fives are read to frequently — down from 64% in 2012 — and nearly three in ten reception starters treat books like screens. For families priced out of building home libraries, universal borough-wide rollout removes the signup barrier that means-tested programmes create.
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