Media Release, October 5, 2026
If you have ever sat down with a child and opened a book together, you know magic happens.
That magic is coming to Owen Sound, Meaford, Georgian Bluffs and Chatsworth with the launch of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library.
The program provides free, age-appropriate books, on a monthly basis, to enrolled children from birth until they turn five. The program ensures all children have access to books in the home regardless of household income.
The Kiwanis Club of Owen Sound, along with the Owen Sound & North Grey Union Public Library and Bruce Grey Child & Family Services, are bringing the award-winning program to the local area. The program is limited to the designated municipalities.
Enrolment is now open on the Owen Sound Imagination Library page or through local enrolment events, to be announced.
Donors are also needed to sustain the ongoing program. Donate to this initiative at the above website or directly to the Kiwanis Club of Owen Sound. Tax receipts will be provided.
Since its inception in 1995, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library has gifted over 300 million books. The Imagination Library operates in five countries: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
Research shows the benefits of children’s early introduction to books include improved early literacy, family reading routines and better school readiness. See Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Impact in Canada (PDF, 1.7 MB).
For more information
Belinda Bowler
Linda Van Aalst