08/27/2026
“When I was growing up in the hills of East Tennessee, I knew my dreams would come true. I know there are children in your community with their own dreams. They dream of becoming a doctor or an inventor or a minister. Who knows, maybe there is a little girl whose dream is to be a writer and singer.
The seeds of these dreams are often found in books and the seeds you help plant in your community can grow across the world.” - Dolly Parton
If you didn’t know, Dolly Parton’s started the Imagination Library in 1995 in her home county - she was inspired by her father, who could not read or write. The Imagination Library now spans to five different countries and sends a free age appropriate book monthly to children from birth to five years old. Her program has gifted over 330 MILLION books!
She wanted children to feel the magic of books and be excited for reading. She wanted children to have access to books, no matter their family’s economic status.
We will miss you, Dolly. A true icon in many, many ways.
