Contributed by our friends at Early Bird Books
There are few who haven’t heard of Dolly Parton, or likely, the heartbreaking news of her passing recently. To the world, Dolly was an incredible woman, artist and philanthropist. But perhaps one of her most enduring legacies began with a simple idea and big heart: putting books into the hands of children.
In 1995, Dolly Parton founded the Imagination Library, believing that every child deserves access to books at an early age. What started in her hometown of Sevier County, TN, has since grown into a worldwide effort, reaching millions of children and families.
That legacy lives right here in West Michigan.
As the local affiliate, Early Bird Books proudly operates Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of West Michigan, continuing her dream of putting more books in the hands of children. The program delivers free, age-appropriate books each month to registered children from birth to age five, inspiring a love of reading and helping build the foundation for lifelong literacy.
Run primarily by volunteers and supported by generous members of the community, Early Bird Books knows firsthand just how meaningful Dolly’s vision continues to be. In 2022, Early Bird Books began in Rockford, enrolled over 1,000 children into the Imagination Library of West Michigan and delivered over 6,500 books in its first year of operation alone. Since then, the nonprofit has expanded access to the Imagination Library to children in Comstock Park, Cedar Springs and downtown Grand Rapids.
Early Bird Books President Kate Purvis says, “The Imagination Library was just Dolly’s small-town wish that transformed into a world-wide wonder all because she could dream big. We continue to be inspired by Dolly as we carry her mission forward and work toward our big dream of providing the Imagination Library to every family here in Kent County.”
As of July this year, Early Bird Books has delivered over 70,000 books to over 3,500 children through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. But behind every number is a child eagerly checking the mailbox each month, a family sharing a bedtime story, and a book becoming part of a child’s earliest relationship with literacy and learning.
To many children in West Michigan who receive books from the Imagination Library, they know Dolly endearingly as “the book lady,” “Grandma Dolly,” or simply “my friend, Dolly.” To the volunteers and staff at Early Bird Books, Dolly was an inspiration, a uniting force, and a reminder of what can happen when one person’s generosity inspires an entire community.
It’s that community support that makes Dolly’s legacy possible here in West Michigan.
Early Bird Books is fueled by the efforts of volunteers and supported by donations from community members, local businesses, and sponsors. Every book mailed to a local child is made possible because someone in the community chose to invest in a child’s future.
Dolly began this extraordinary movement with the belief that a book can change a child’s life. Now, the most meaningful way to honor her is to make sure those books keep coming. At Early Bird Books, carrying that belief forward is at the heart of their mission: inspiring a love of reading and supporting children in their ongoing literacy growth.
This fall, Robinette's Apple Haus and Winery is honoring Dolly and her beloved Imagination Library with a Dolly-themed corn maze. The Dollywood Foundation launched this effort last spring to bring Dolly-themed corn mazes to farms across the country to support her beloved program. Robinette’s is one of only 20 farms across the nation to showcase the Dolly-design. Now, they will be honoring her memory and donating a part of each maze ticket to our Imagination Library.
Local support, like that provided by the partnership with Robinette’s, means that Early Bird Books can continue to put stories into little hands. It means that children can continue to Dream More, Learn More, Care More, Be More.
Dolly’s life may have come to an end, but her impact does not. Her legacy lives on in every page turned by little fingers, every book read on repeat, and every child waiting at the mailbox.
The team at Early Bird Books wants to reassure the community that Dolly Parton's Imagination Library will continue, both here in West Michigan and around the world.
But continuing her legacy requires all of us.
For anyone interested in learning more about the local Imagination Library and Early Bird Books: https://www.earlybirdbooks.org/, opens a new window or https://www.earlybirdbooks.org/donate.html, opens a new window.
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