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Parton’s Imagination Library has gifted more than 270m books to young children since it was founded in 1995
Parton’s Imagination Library has gifted more than 270m books to young children since it was founded in 1995 Dolly Parton reads from her children's book, Coat of Many Colors, to schoolchildren at the Library of Congress in February 2018 in Washington, DC, when she donated to its collection its 100 millionth book.
Photograph: Shannon Finney/GettyThe superstar, who died on Tuesday in Nashville, Tennessee, aged 80, was world-famous for her genre-defining hits including 9 To 5, I Will Always Love You, and Jolene. But she was also lauded for her extensive philanthropic work on literacy through organisations such as the Dollywood Foundation and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.
The library, which sends free books to children from birth to age five, has gifted more than 270 million books since it was founded by Parton in 1995, inspired by her father, who could not read or write. Some mums are absolute naturals. I wasn’t that mumThe organisation initially handed out books to children living in Sevier County, Tennessee, where she grew up.
It was rolled out nationally in 2000 following that success, and three years later the programme had mailed 1 million books to children around the It celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2025, launched in Canada in 2006 and Australia in 2013, and in the Republic of Ireland in 2019. Free books from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library being distributed to children in Tallaght, Dublin.
The Imagination Library’s X account posted that their team were “heartbroken” at the loss of their founder, who was proud that the programme “grew into what it is today”. It added: “The world grieves with us today. And yet we find ourselves just as certain about what comes next. For decades, Dolly & the team at The Dollywood Foundation – home of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library – worked to build something that would last for generations.
So it will.
“The work ahead has never felt more meaningful, and we will carry it forward as she lifts us all up. Dolly, we will always love you.
” The Library of Congress in Washington DC, which claims to be the world’s largest library, said the singer was a “titan of children’s literacy” in a tribute posted on X. The library said Parton had visited it in 2018 to donate to its collection its 100 millionth book, and to host a story time. US secretary of education Linda McMahon also paid tribute to Parton, writing on X: “Her music, storytelling, and generous spirit enriched American culture for generations.
” She added: “Through her Imagination Library, she placed millions of books into the hands of young children and helped spark a lifelong love of reading. ” – PARoisin Kiberd: ‘Beauty is a very weighty subject ... it can be cruel and manipulative but it can also be art’Tesco worker sacked for taking bakery items before they became ‘free to staff’ loses unfair dismissal claimMembers resign from internal People Before Profit group over ‘hegemonic’ leadership styleIrish couple found dead by their children at apartment complex in Spain
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