Dolly Parton library at risk of closure
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What is Give Like Dolly Day and why is it important for children’s literacy?
Tomorrow is the first ever Give Like Dolly Day celebrating Dolly Parton's legacy of giving and her commitment to children's literacy. In Dublin twenty four, however, the Childhood Development Initiative is using the occasion to make an urgent appeal for funding for its imagination library program, which delivers a free book every month to thousands of children. Without more support, the program could close by the end of the year. Joining me now is Marian Quinn, CEO of Childhood Development Initiative. Morning, Marion. Good morning, David. Uh now in the wake of Dolly Parton's passing a lot of uh people will have heard about the Imagination Library, but just in case anybody hasn't, could you just explain what it does?
Absolutely.
How does the Imagination Library program work and who can join?
And your previous speakers touched on a lot of the themes that that we work on as well. So that was really it really nice to sort of have all those themes resonating. So um when parents can sign up their child for the Imagination Library in Dublin twenty four, um it does also operate in an area in in North Cork. Um and they can sign up their child from birth and until their fifth birthday and once a child is registered they receive a book through the post every month. Um books are specially selected for their quality, diversity, being age appropriate, etc. Um, they come through the post uh through the door with the child's name on it and um your earlier speakers were talking about how exciting that is for people, for children.
For P. And um and so
What impact does receiving a monthly book have on a child’s development and school readiness?
So a child who is through the from birth to five will at the end of it have their own library of sixty books. The first book arrives with a letter from Dolly congratulating the child on joining the Imagination Library, and the final book on their fifth birthday, which actually happens to be an Oscar Wilde book, which is really lovely for us, has a book congratulating the child on graduating from the Imagination Library.
Yeah, I read that letter at the time, it brought a tear to my eye. I don't know about anybody else. Um a and receiving a book every month, how much of a difference does that make to these uh children and their families?
So we've we've known um from talking to parents how important it is, um, but actually the research really confirms that. So there are a number of things that the the book delivery offers children. Having books in the home is a very important predictor of children's later educational attainment.
Why is the Imagination Library program under financial pressure and what are its costs?
So we know that if there are books in the home, children tend to do better. We also know that children uh who have books and who are reading regularly are more ready for school. So they settle into primary school better. They know how to hold a book, they know how to read from left to right, some of the things your previous speakers were talking about. And very importantly for us, it it it it motivates parents to have a really good reading routine in the home. And there's some very recent research people can see it on our website uh which is just cdi.ie where children who have who are part of the imagination library are five times more likely than other children to read on their own and their parents are far more likely to s to have a regular reading routine.
And those things are really important for children's later educational attainment.
How can listeners support the programme through Give Like Dolly Day donations?
Okay. That is the good news. The bad news is the programme is under pressure.
Yes, so the it it does cost us about eight thousand euros every month to pay for the books. Uh we have wonderful sponsors with OnPost. They have been with us from the very beginning, back in twenty nineteen. They cover the cost of all the postage and packaging. The Dollywood Foundation provides the technology that ensures that children get the right book at the right time with their name on it. But we have to cover the cost of the books, which costs about eight thousand euros every month.
What next steps can people take to help sustain the Childhood Development Initiative?
So a hundred thousand every year. So it's it's a it's a challenge to find that every month, but we do know the value of the books and all the kind of benefits that that has for children.
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Chapters
6 chapters
1
What is Give Like Dolly Day and why is it important for children’s literacy?
0:01–0:41
2
How does the Imagination Library program work and who can join?
0:41–1:30
3
What impact does receiving a monthly book have on a child’s development and school readiness?
1:30–2:28
4
Why is the Imagination Library program under financial pressure and what are its costs?
2:28–3:20
5
How can listeners support the programme through Give Like Dolly Day donations?
3:20–3:56
6
What next steps can people take to help sustain the Childhood Development Initiative?
3:56–5:07
Speakers
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