08/25/2026
We don't usually make posts about the passing of a celebrity, but we think to the library world, she was more than that. A beacon of hope, fighting for access to books for any child who asked for one.
Dolly Rebecca Parton was a singer, songwriter, actress, philanthropist, businesswoman and creator of the Dolly Patron Imagination Library.
Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Canada is a free book gifting program devoted to inspiring a love of reading in young children. In partnership with local community partners, enrolled children receive monthly, a high quality, age-appropriate book in the mail, free of charge.
From a Toronto stage in November of 2006, Dolly Parton enthusiastically announced the Canadian expansion of her Imagination Library. It was the first international push for the organization. Program coverage has spread across all Canadian provinces and territories, gifting over 3 million books in Canada in partnership with over 400 local program partners. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library has recognition for addressing social barriers to literacy, and always ensuring her books were inclusive of all identities and backgrounds so that every child could see themselves in a book. This is something we strive to do here at the Callander Public Library, and often find ourselves asking "What would Dolly Do?" on those especially hard days.
RIP to our literary angel.
