Dolly Parton has officially donated 100 million books to needy children around the world.
As if we needed another reason to adore Dolly, right? The country music legend has continued to surprise and entertain us for over fifty years, both as a singer/songwriter and as an actress, author, and perhaps most importantly, as the “book lady.”
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In 1995, Dolly decided to start a nonprofit organization to get books into the hands of children in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee. She called it the “Imagination Library,” and it enabled any family that signed up to receive one free book every month from birth to kindergarten.
For children living in poverty, having access to educational materials is critical. This initiative ensures that every child can read books, regardless of their parents’ income.
Imagination Library
Dolly’s nonprofit took off, soon expanding well beyond Tennessee. It’s now available as a free resource for families in the United States, Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
“I never thought about being ‘the book lady,” Dolly said. “The painted lady, yes, the over-exaggerated lady. That goes to show you can’t judge a book by its cover.â€
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On February 27, 2018, Dolly donated that 100 millionth book — a copy of her own book, “Coat of Many Colors” to the Library of Congress. As she read the book to some children at the event, Dolly explained that the person she always hoped to honor with the Imagination Library was her dad, Robert Lee Parton, Sr.
Robert, who passed away in 2000, never learned how to read or write himself. Dolly called him the smartest man she’d ever known. despite the fact that he never had any access to books or schooling, and Dolly herself said she grew up with no books to read, except the Bible. Creating the Imagination Library was something she knew he’d love.
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“I wanted to do something special for him,”she said. “In the Bible, it talks about honoring your father and mother.â€
While Dolly read to the kids at the Library of Congress, she even sang a bit of the book, much to their delight. She seems genuinely thrilled to be able to help kids learn and grow. She says her dad was incredibly proud of the nonprofit before he died, a fact that she cherishes.
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“Of all the things I’ve done in my life – and it’s been a lot because I’ve been around – this is the most precious,”she said. “Maybe we’ll be back for a billion.â€
What a beautiful way to give back! Please share this story to say thank you to Dolly!
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