Dolly Parton has called on Indianaâs governor to reverse course on plans to do away with her popular âImagination Libraryâ program.
The country singer, who started the book gifting program to encourage early literacy, urged Gov. Mike Braun to reconsider the stateâs proposed budget, which does not include the usual 50 percent matching funds provided to finance the initiative.
âWe are hopeful that Governor Braun and the Indiana Legislature will continue this vital investment by restoring the stateâs funding match for local Imagination Library programs,â Jeff Conyers, president of the Dollywood foundation, said in a statement to the Daily Beast.
âThe beauty of the Imagination Library is that it unites us allâregardless of politicsâbecause every child deserves the chance to dream big and succeed."
Under the program, children receive a free book once a month until the age of 5 â almost like itâs coming directly from a fairy godmother named Dolly Parton. The country singer started the Imagination Library in 1995 to inspire âa love of reading,â according to the website.
Parton was inspired by her own fatherâs inability to read and write to launch the initiative. Although it started in the U.S., it now sends out over two million free books each month to children around the world.
The program runs via shared funding by Parton and local community partners in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and Ireland.
Parton touted the programâs success in the Hoosier state, as she urged the stateâs lawmakers to reconsider.
âFor the past two years, the State of Indiana has been a proud partner in bringing Dolly Partonâs Imagination Library to over 125,000 Hoosier children each month,â Conyers continued. âTogether, weâve helped nurture a love of reading, given families precious moments of joy, and built a foundation for lifelong learning.â
According to research conducted by the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, early literacy significantly contributes to both academic and personal success.
