Dolly Parton’s father, Robert Lee Parton, grew up in poverty and never had the opportunity to learn to read. This experience profoundly influenced the 78-year-old country music icon, inspiring her to dedicate much of her life to promoting literacy. Over the past three decades, her Imagination Library book giveaway program has made a significant impact, expanding statewide in places like Missouri and Kentucky—just two of the 21 states where every child under the age of 5 can now receive books delivered to their homes each month.
On Tuesday, Parton visited both states to celebrate the program’s success and share her father’s story. Speaking at the Folly Theater in Kansas City, Missouri, she reflected on her father’s challenges, explaining how many people in the Appalachian mountains, like him, were unable to attend school because they had to work on farms to support their families. Despite his lack of formal education, Parton described her father as “one of the smartest people” she ever knew, though he carried the shame of being unable to read.
Determined to help others avoid the struggles her father faced, Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995 in a single Tennessee county. The initiative quickly gained momentum, and today, over 3 million books are distributed monthly to children in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Ireland, and Australia. To date, more than 240 million books have been sent out since the program’s inception.
In Missouri, the state fully funds the program, which cost $11 million in the most recent fiscal year. Other states contribute through a cost-sharing model. Parton shared that her father took great pride in being known as the “book lady” more than for her stardom. In Kentucky, where the program reaches children in all 120 counties, Governor Andy Beshear and First Lady Britainy Beshear praised the initiative for helping nearly half of all preschoolers in the state build their personal libraries.
Parton expressed her hope that the Imagination Library will one day be available in every state. Though present in all states, only 21 have legislation ensuring all children under 5 can enroll. She emphasized her pride that her father lived to see the program’s early success, viewing it as a way to honor his memory.
Beyond her contributions to literacy, Parton is also an author, with her 1996 children’s book “Coat of Many Colors” included in the giveaway program. The book and its accompanying song, which recount a childhood experience of being teased for wearing a handmade coat, have resonated deeply with audiences, helping to heal old wounds for Parton and her fans alike.
Reflecting on her legacy, Parton shared that she hopes to be remembered as a hardworking, kind-hearted woman who tried to make people happy and improve the world. While she values her accomplishments as a singer and songwriter, she confessed that the Imagination Library holds a special place in her heart, possibly more so than anything else she has ever done.
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