Photo: Dolly Parton (front center) joins Arkansas Imagination Library leaders, Local Program Partners, state leaders and supporters at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion on May 5, 2022, to celebrate the Imagination Library becoming available in all 75 Arkansas counties. Elaine Kneebone, Affiliate Director for Clark County’s Imagination Library, is pictured in the second row, third from right. | Courtesy photo
By JOEL PHELPS | arkadelphian.com
Dolly Parton’s connection to Clark County dates to 20 years ago, when a young Arkadelphia attorney learned of the country singer’s Imagination Library on the radio. In the two decades since, the local nonprofit has gifted tens of thousands books to young children in Clark County. And despite Parton’s passing at the age of 80, her Imagination Library will continue.
Elaine Kneebone, affiliate director of Clark County’s Dolly Parton Imagination Library program, said Parton’s foundation confirmed Wednesday morning that the book-gifting program will go on, as it is part of Parton’s legacy and the icon’s rags-to-riches story.
Having grown up poor, the Parton family had only a Bible in their home. Parton’s father was illiterate, and her mother would read the Bible to the Parton kids. Parton made a personal vow that, when she hit the big time, no pre-school aged child would go without books. She launched the program in 1995 in her eastern Tennessee hometown, and the idea quickly spread throughout the hills of Appalachia.
A 20-something-year-old Kneebone was working for a law firm in downtown Arkadelphia when she first heard of the Imagination Library and made the decision to spearhead the program locally. In 2006, Clark County became one of the very first in Arkansas to participate in Parton’s dream.
To date, more than 112,000 books have been mailed to Clark County children from birth to age 5.
“These books are a gift that says, ‘We believe in you, we believe in your potential, and we want to see you have big dreams,’” Kneebone said.
The Imagination Library of Clark County operates as a 501(c)3 partner. It currently costs the local nonprofit about $15 per child each year to mail books. The program got its initial funding with a grant from the Ross Foundation. In addition to grant funding, Imagination Library also relies on an annual pecan fundraiser and individual donations. (Donations may be directed to the Clark County program in the link provided.)
Kneebone and about a dozen other volunteers work year-round to make it possible. This month the group is planning to mail out 715 books to local children. One former volunteer, longtime educator Kathryn Crawford, was instrumental in getting Imagination Library off the ground locally. Kneebone said that Crawford, upon learning about the effort to gift books to young children, took it upon herself to seek out every daycare center in the county and register children at those places. It was because of Crawford that Imagination Library was soon embraced in local towns located miles apart, from Gurdon to Amity.
“I think it’s important for our community because our major industry is education,” Kneebone said, “and part of what we can do for our kids is make sure they have the best start in school that we can give.”
Asked if her work ever afforded the opportunity to meet Parton in the flesh, Kneebone said she got “within arm’s reach” of the iconic country singer. Parton promised a concert once her Imagination Library stretched across The Natural State, and stayed true to her word, as it became a statewide program in 2022. To celebrate the expansion, Parton gave a private performance at the Arkansas Governor’s Mansion, playing an acoustic set and talking about literacy between songs. Kneebone, who attended the concert, stood within inches of Parton during a photo taken after the event.
In recognition of the local group’s 20th anniversary, there is a reception planned at Citizens Bank on Oct. 6 from 4-6 p.m.
Anyone interested in volunteering with our local program is encouraged to contact Elaine Kneebone at imaginationlibrary@sbcglobal.net.
CLICK HERE to learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
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