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Plenty of the stories shared by those remembering Dolly Parton in the wake of her passing Tuesday revolved not around music, movies or even a theme park, but around books. Because of Parton and her Imagination Library, hundreds of millions of books have been sent out to children and their families.
It was a project close to Parton's heart, and one she expanded outside her beloved Tennessee to Ohio back in 2019. First Lady Fran DeWine had a lot to do with that step for the organization.
“Her devotion to children and literacy is unparalleled. Because of Dolly, millions of children around the country and the world are getting free books and learning how to read, which will, in many cases, change the trajectory of their lives. Because of Dolly's vision and generosity, over one million Ohio children have received free books in the mail, totaling nearly 28 million books,” DeWine said, according to a report by WLWT. “Her generosity and selfless spirit leave a legacy that will live on for generations to come. We remain incredibly grateful for her compassion and commitment to others.”
Parton loved the work she was able to do through the Imagination Library because it was a tribute to her father, who struggled to read and was limited because of it. She said her father told her the project was "the most important thing I had ever done."
With the help of local organizations -- there are more than 75 in Ohio now -- the Imagination Library mails free books to children from birth to age 5, no matter the family's income. Parton just wanted children to learn to read, and families to read together.
Her dedication to literacy is just one of so many reasons Parton will be painfully missed.
But if social media posts are to be believed, many families received their books in the mail on the day Parton's death was announced -- an important reminder that even if one light leaves the world, the lights that person ignited can and will continue to burn brightly.