In the wake of her passing, Dolly Parton is being remembered locally not only as a country music legend but also as a champion of childhood literacy.
On Aug. 31, six days after Parton’s death, dozens of residents attended a vigil at Ventura’s Hill Road Library to light candles, listen to her songs and learn about the effort to bring her book program to the county.
“Dolly Parton was an amazing force for early literacy, and through the Imagination Library of Ventura County, her legacy lives on locally,” Ventura County Library Director Nancy Schram said. “We’re so grateful for her vision, and we can’t wait to start getting more books into the hands of more children.”
Parton created the Imagination Library in 1995 in honor of her father, who never
learned to read or write. The nonprofit mails children one book per month from birth until age 5 at no cost and has since donated more than 300 million books worldwide, according to its website.
"She always said it was one of the most important things she ever did,” Kalifa Madden, communications manager for the Imagination Library of California, said at the vigil. "So to be able to see the love and support that we received within just days of her passing has been really special."
Kathleen Turner sits on the board of directors for the Ventura County Library Foundation, the nonprofit that raises funds to support the Ventura County Library System. She learned about the program at a Delta Kappa Gamma convention for women educators several years ago.
The retired teacher witnessed firsthand how having access to books at home can positively impact children and committed herself to implementing the model in Ventura County.
“Reading to children at this vulnerable developmental age helps them grow in their love of reading, helps develop their literacy skills, and when they go to school, they already have a head start,” said Turner, now program director for the Imagination Library of Ventura County.
The library foundation agreed to serve as the local nonprofit partner for the Imagination Library, and the board of supervisors unanimously approved the agreement June 9.
Under a cost-sharing model with the Imagination Library and the State of California, the library foundation is responsible for paying roughly $15 per child annually.
Volunteers have raised just over $55,000, and when they meet their initial goal of $100,000, the books will start to be shipped, Turner said.
The feedback from families has been positive. She said more than 2,500 of the eligible 40,000 children in Ventura County are already on the waitlist to register for the books, which will be available in both English and Spanish.
Khaled Omar, the library foundation volunteer who organized the vigil, signed his now 5-year-old son Zekariah up for the Imagination Library in North Carolina shortly after he was born.
“It speaks to how big her heart is,” the Oxnard resident said of the initiative. “She’s the blueprint for how to love your community and the people around you and how to live an impactful legacy.”
He said the books exposed his son to a variety of topics ranging from diversity and emotions to astronauts and ice cream, prompting valuable conversations at home. They prepared him for kindergarten, taught him to love learning and fostered his creativity.
Omar said Parton is the only celebrity he has ever shed tears for, recalling how his son often falls asleep in a pile of 60 Imagination Library books after saying, “Thank you, Dolly Parton, for the books, and I love you.”
Ventura resident Heaven Luna showed up to the vigil wearing pink lipstick and a Dolly T-shirt. She wanted to mourn and celebrate her lifelong source of inspiration with her neighbors.
“She’s so much more than music, and I think her legacy is going to live on forever,” Luna said. “Hopefully, this inspires people to be more giving and more community minded."
To donate to Imagination Library of Ventura County or to sign up for the wait list to receive books, visit imaginationlibraryventura.com.Makena Huey is an investigative and watchdog reporter for the Ventura County Star. Reach her at makena.huey@vcstar.com. This story was made possible by a grant from the Ventura County Community Foundation's Fund to Support Local Journalism.
This article originally appeared on Ventura County Star: Effort grows to bring Dolly Parton's book program to Ventura County
