26/08/2026
Today, we join communities around the world in remembering Dolly Parton, a remarkable storyteller, humanitarian and champion for children.
Dolly believed that every child should have the opportunity to dream, and that books could help plant the seeds of those dreams. Inspired by her father, who never had the opportunity to learn to read or write, she founded Dolly Partonโs Imagination Library in 1995.
What began in her hometown in Tennessee grew into a worldwide movement. More than 300 million books have since found their way into the hands and homes of young children.
That legacy also reached Belconnen.
In October 2023, Imagination Library Kippax became one of the first Imagination Library programs in the ACT. Since then, children across our local community have experienced the delight of finding a new book addressed especially to them in their letterbox each month. Within every envelope is more than a book. There is an invitation for a family to pause, read, talk, imagine and spend precious time together.
Dolly showed the world that one generous idea, nurtured with care and shared by many, can travel far beyond where it began. From the hills of Tennessee to homes here in Kippax and across Belconnen, her vision continues to open stories, strengthen families and inspire children to dream.
Although the world has lost an extraordinary woman, her story is far from over. It lives on each time a child opens a book. Each time a parent and child read together. Each time a new dream begins.
Thank you, Dolly, for believing in children and for reminding us that every childโs dreams matter.
Your legacy will continue to arrive in letterboxes, one book at a time.
Learn more about Imagination Library Kippax: https://belconnenvillage.org.au/imagination-library/
