08/26/2026
This is from the American Library Association's FB page, but we want to share it as well. Dolly was more than a beautiful person in and out. She was a driving force in helping parents, schools, and libraries get kids to not only start their literacy journey, but to facilitate their love of the written word. Her gift of the Imagination Library touched so many families, mine included, and though that light is now dimmed, the spark she created with that gift will never be extinguished. We join the world in mourning the loss of a global treasure. And I think it can all be summed up in three little words: Thank you, Dolly.
ALA is heartbroken at the passing of country music legend, cultural icon, and champion of literacy Dolly Parton.
Dolly’s award-winning Imagination Library initiative, inspired by her father’s inability to read or write, has put hundreds of millions of free books into the hands of children across America and was considered by her to be one of her greatest achievements.
“We’re giving books to kids who wouldn’t have a chance to get them otherwise,” she told American Libraries in a 2018 interview. “A lot of people think this is just for poor children—it’s for all children. It’s important to get books into the hands of any child that we can.”
ALA was proud to confer Dolly with an honorary lifetime membership, the Association’s highest honor, in 2023 for her lasting impact on librarianship, libraries, and the communities they serve.
Dolly was also part of ALA’s Celebrity READ campaign, in which she holds a copy of 'The Little Engine That Could.'
“I’ve always related to that book because I’m the little engine that did!” she said.
Thank you, Dolly. ❤️
