26/08/2026
We are saddened to hear of the passing of Dolly Parton, a beloved singer, storyteller and champion of children's literacy, who died yesterday aged 80.
Beyond her extraordinary career as a musician, Dolly inspired generations of young readers through her commitment to helping children discover a love of books and reading. Her vision encouraged millions of families around the world to share stories together and foster a lifelong passion for learning.
Thank you for the stories, songs and legacy you've left for readers everywhere.
We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Dolly Parton.
On behalf of everyone at the Scottish Library and Information Council, we would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to Dolly’s family, friends and colleagues, and to our friends and partners across Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.
Dolly’s extraordinary contribution went far beyond music. She was a passionate and lifelong champion of literacy, believing deeply in the power of books to open up opportunities, nurture imagination and help every child to dream.
Through the Imagination Library, that belief has been turned into something remarkable - putting books directly into the hands and homes of millions of children around the world and inspiring a love of reading from the very earliest years.
As Dolly so beautifully said: “The seeds of these dreams are often found in books.”
Her legacy will live on in every child who discovers the joy of a book, every family who reads together, and every community committed to giving children the opportunity to learn, imagine and dream.
Our thoughts are with everyone who knew and loved Dolly, and particularly our Imagination Library partners at this very sad time.
A truly remarkable legacy. Thank you, Dolly.
📚❤️
