Dolly dazzles councillors with Imagination Library

Narrabri Shire mayor Darrell Tiemens welcomed a surprise guest at the most recent ordinary council meeting: country music icon Dolly Parton.

During a lighter and more jovial moment at the November 28 meeting, general manager Rob Williams carried a life-seized cardboard cut-out of the singing and songwriting sensation through the chamber doors.

Not missing a beat, the GM’s timing was perfect as councillors were just about to start discussing an agenda item update on the shire’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library program.

“She works more than nine to five, here we go, we have a special guest at our council meeting,” said Cr Tiemens who, along with his fellow councillors, cracked a big bright smile of delight.

“I’d like to move that we have an honorary councillor – Cr Parton.

“Thank you very much, general manager. This item, 14.4, is the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program update and I’d like to call upon the director of planning and sustainability.”

Donna Ausling, NSC director of planning and sustainability, said: “I think we can all agree that this is an excellent literacy program.

“The staff wanted to bring to your attention the fact that, unfortunately, the grant funding for the program expires in July next year.

“The team are working extremely hard in identifying potential alternative funding sources and partnering with other organisations.

“And council, if you’re interested, you might be wanting to have a briefing by United Way Australia, perhaps early in the new year on the successes and future directions of the Imagination Library program.”

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library was officially launched locally in 2022 as part of shire libraries ‘ongoing commitment to early learning’.

“Every child born in the shire who joins the Imagination Library will receive a free book each month from the time of their birth until they go to school,” said then NSC mayor, Ron Campbell, at the time of the launch.

Council said the Imagination Library extended the reach of local community support programs working to enhance early language and literacy development.

“This is a fantastic incentive to encourage early learning and development from the very early stages of life through to when formal education begins.”

The Imagination Library is part of the Dollywood Foundation which has been assisting children across North America, UK, Canada and Australia with millions of books.

Locally, it has been offered in partnership with United Way Australia and the NSW government’s Brighter Beginnings initiative.

At the most recent ordinary council meeting, Cr Redding said, “I’m sure I don’t have to tell everybody what a great initiative this Dolly Parton Imagination Library program is.

“Narrabri Shire was very fortunate, a couple of years ago, to receive this funding to have this – the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program – run within our shire.

“We were one of very few in the North West to actually receive this funding, and I think it’s great that we’re looking at it now… because it is really, really important.

“We all know the importance of getting books into the hands of young children early.

“It’s imperative.

“I must say, when I informed the group at the State Library conference that our general manager actually had Dolly Parton in his office all the time, they were really impressed.

“So, she is a reminder there, all the time, that we continue to need this program going forward.”

Cr Tiemens added, “We’re also very lucky to have such great libraries in our in our shire as well.”

Cr Boehm said, “I just want to support Cr Redding’s words … early literacy is absolutely the foundation of good education outcomes.

“This is one of the small things that we can do as a community that make a really big difference.

“I think that we need to be strongly supportive of the things that make a big difference.

“I really endorse this program.”

The motion ‘that council receives and notes the update report on the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program’ was put forward by Cr Redding, seconded by Cr Boehm and carried unanimously with all councillors present – Crs Darrell Tiemens, Rohan Boehm, Robert Browning, Brett Dickinson, Catherine Redding and Lisa Richardson – voting in favour of it.

Background information provided in council’s November 28 business paper states, “In 2022, when Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library was first introduced into Narrabri, the indicators for children’s developmental vulnerability in our community were unfortunately amongst some of the highest scores in NSW.

“This being the primary reason why the NSW government selected Narrabri to be included in the Brighter Beginnings Imagination Library initiative with a corresponding approximate investment of $118,000 in the Narrabri Shire over a five-year period.

“Each month, enrolled children receive a high-quality, age-appropriate book in the mail, free of charge. Children receive books from birth to age five.

“To date, 142 children in our shire are part of the program with approximately 990 books being gifted over the last year.

“The program effectively offers critical early literary skills to children from birth to 5 years old.

“The funding from the NSW government for adding newborns onto the program, will cease by July 2024.

“To ensure the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program is financially sustainable and available to the Narrabri Shire community in the longer term, council staff are currently actively pursuing potential joint funding and partnership opportunities with the assistance of United Way Australia, who manage the program.

“On this basis, a potential funding model has been identified, as follows: council – 20 per cent of full costs; service organisations – 20 per cent of full costs; sponsors – 60 per cent of full costs.

“Potential grant funding opportunities are also being actively explored.

“Should the collaborative funding model be successful, an investment of $2,140.00 is foreshadowed.

“A corresponding ‘bid’ for funding will be made as part of council’s 2024/25 budgetary processes.”

The purpose of the report presented to council was to provide an update on the current status of this important local community initiative, in addition to current funding challenges and potential future directions.

The author of the report was NSC cultural services manager Scott Pollock, external consultation occurred with United Way Australia and internal consultation with the NSC senior management team, tourism and cultural services and the library coordinator.

Readers would be more than familiar with Dolly Parton, who is adored by fans around the world, and you would be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn’t know at least one lyric to a best-selling song she’s written or performed, from ‘Joelene’ to ‘Islands in the Stream’ and ‘I will Always Love You’.

For more than five decades, the award-winning queen of country music has entertained crowds with her charming personality, unique voice, witty sense of humour, popular acting roles, and self-described ‘Backwards Barbie’ look that includes high hair, higher heels and plenty of sequins and sparkles to boot.

However, Dolly is also famous for being down-to-earth and kind; the American sweetheart’s Imagination Library initiative is all about giving, creating and encouraging a love of reading by gifting books, free of charge, to children.

From very humble beginnings in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, wearing a ‘coat of many colours’, Dolly has shared her ‘rags-to-rhinestones’ story.

“We didn’t have any money, but we were rich in things that money don’t buy. You know, like love and kindness and understanding,” Dolly told the American Today show, on the NBC network.

Despite finding fame and super stardom, Dolly still remembers her roots and her generous spirit continues to shine through.

In 1995, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Dolly started the Imagination Library.

“Before he passed away, my Daddy told me the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing I had ever done,” Dolly states in an open letter on her website.

“I can’t tell you how much that meant to me because I created the Imagination Library as a tribute to my Daddy.

“He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams.

“Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission. In the beginning, my hope was simply to inspire the children in my home county but here we are today with a worldwide program that gives a book a month to well over one million children.

“Of course, I have not done this alone. The real heroes of our story are the thousands of local organisations who have embraced my dream and made it their own.

“They raise millions of dollars each year and wake up every day with a passion to make sure their kids have every opportunity to succeed.”