Dolly Parton (1946 – 2026)

Eight year’s ago Making Book published a post about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. To mark her death, it is reproduced below. The international reach of her work for literacy is indicated by this obituary tribute from Australia. (OK, her “international reach as singer/songwriter may have been greater, but the ABC does focus on the literacy work!) Apparently Imagination Library has now given away more than 332 million books. We all hope that The Dollywood Foundation will continue its good work. It is based in Sevierville, Tenn. though its reach is international, and was originally set up in 1988 to inspire children in Ms Parton’s home county “to succeed in education, and to boost high-school graduation rates”. — — — — — — — Imagination Library was founded in 1995 to encourage kids to read. Each month they send a free book to member children, up to the age of five. It all started, as a tribute to Ms Parton’s dad, in her home area Sevier County, in eastern Tennessee, and has…