Dolly Parton Imagination Library Documentary Airs Tonight
Washington County, OH – The Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library (DPIL) will be making its way to the silver screen, or rather the hand-held screen. Tonight, December 9th at 7 p.m. the long-anticipated documentary, “The Library the Dolly Built,” will air through a live, worldwide Facebook stream.
Fans of Dolly Parton and/or Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library can tune in to the documentary through Marietta Community Foundation’s Facebook page for the exclusive live broadcast.
“We are excited to be a part of this worldwide event,” said Heather Allender, President & CEO of the Foundation. “We hope that Dolly fans across the county tune in, but also parents, educators, and other community members who want to see our youngest generation flourish!”
The Foundation is Washington County’s local DPIL affiliate which currently serves 892 children and has disbursed 11,000 books since its inception.
“Giving children access to print is one of the greatest ways to help them achieve milestones in early childhood development,” said Allender. “This program delivers high-quality, age-appropriate books directly to their door… and it has a massive impact on these children’s futures.”
Washington County children, ages birth to five years old, can register through the Foundation to receive a high-quality book in the mail each month. One of the Foundation’s long-term efforts is to grow its DPIL program to a fully self-sustaining program that can serve every eligible child in Washington County.
“To help us reach this long-term goal we invite any individual, family, and/or group, who are passionate about our local children, donate to this program,” said Allender. “It costs just $25 a year to enroll a child, so the investment is minimal, but the potential impact is incalculable… Tune in to the documentary on our Facebook and see for yourself!”
The documentary will tell the story of how the famous musician and philanthropist developed the DPIL. The film features the music of Dolly Parton and is narrated by actress and author, Danica McKellar.
Following the screening, Dolly Parton will be live for a fan Q&A and a very special acoustic performance. Produced by Land Grant Films, “The Library That Dolly Built” is directed by journalism professor Nick Geidner, edited by video instructor Clinton Elmore and crewed by 15 University of Knoxville students.
The DPIL program began in 1995 in Sevier County, TN, Dolly Parton’s home. Since then it has grown into a global entity providing millions of books to children from all over the world. In 2019 First Lady Fran DeWine began the Ohio Governor’s Imagination Library, a statewide partnership with DPIL.
Ohio is the third state to incorporate and allocate funds for a statewide book gifting program through DPIL.
Marietta Community Foundation meets National Standards for operational quality, donor service, and accountability in the community foundation sector. Founded in 1974, the Marietta Community Foundation has grown over the years thanks to a number of generous gifts.
Marietta Community Foundation works to improve Washington County through grants and initiatives. If you would like to support the long-term sustainability of the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Program in Washington County, please visit www.mcfohio.org/donate. For those who wish to speak to an individual, please contact Heather Allender at 740-373-3286 or heather@mcfohio.org.
