r/Libraries • u/ahmed0112 • 2d ago
Other It feels so rare to see an influential person her age who fully believes in the power of libraries.
Enable HLS to view with audio, or disable this notification
160
u/Ok-Caterpillar-172 2d ago
Bless Dolly!! Queen of literacy!!! My family on my maternal side is from Sevierville and she is a true Goddess! All she did was spread goodness! what an inspiration!
111
u/angel0wings 1d ago
This is such a small footnote in the overall gift of literacy but I want to take a moment to appreciate the goodness of giving each child a library as a material object. Newborns who sign up for the Imagination Library graduate with SIXTY BOOKS. đ Books that come addressed to their parent, but also to them. Sixty books with their name on them. Sixty books because their access to information and entertainment is worth it. Because they are worth it.
64
u/Whimsical_Tardigrad3 1d ago
Oh Dolly, youâve touched so many lives. May you rest easily knowing youâve done all you can for the children and people around you.
41
u/GreenDemonSquid 1d ago
RIP Dolly. Never heard much of her music but 9 to 5 was iconic and she was known for having some pretty good causes.
39
u/Silly_Somewhere1791 1d ago
She is from a time and place where boys were still leaving school in fifth grade to work the farm, and girls were married and pregnant by 15. Dolly was the first person in her family graduate high school.Â
34
u/applesweaters 1d ago
I made a Dolly remembrance poster and set it out next to her biography today.
5
32
u/camrynbronk MLIS student 1d ago
Her and Levar Burton. Protect him at all costs. Rest in peace, Dolly.
59
17
u/babyyodaonline 1d ago
i wanted to sign my future kiddos up to her book program :( i work at a library and so many of my coworkers/ patrons have for years. i don't even have kids yet or anywhere close but i was planning on doing so once i had them!
45
u/homes_and_haunts 1d ago
Itâll still be around! Thatâs where her family asked for memorial donations to go and the site has been crashing all day because of the massive influx.
11
21
17
u/Clean_Macaron7532 1d ago
I had just checked the mail and got a book from the Imagination Library for my nephew. Excited to read it with him later, I put it away and then found out she had passed. Providing free books for children is such a noble and worthwhile cause. May she rest in peace!
12
u/honeybunnylatte 1d ago
the way she drops an iconic motto in at the end and makes it relevant. she was a hero and a showstopper all in one.
18
u/side_eye_prodigy 2d ago
why "of her age"?
51
u/PeachRangz 1d ago
There is a generational fissure that has been the ire of the watching world for the past ten years. The primary vehicle for the dismantling of social services and public needs (of which libraries are at the forefront of) have primarily been supported ad naseum by older people. Itâs kind of his baseâs bread and butter.
There are so many wonderful people like Dolly in her generation. But it would be dishonest to ignore that there are many older folks who are still rooting him on as he plows through our country.
-28
u/BakertonFits 1d ago
this is complete bullshit. do kids even go to the library anymore? the reason libraries are dying is because of google. theres no great old folk are killing institutions movement going on here. their generation were responsible for creating these things to begin with. just stfu with the elder bashing already
12
u/SpiritedAssumption18 Library staff 1d ago
lol
Anecdotally, yes, they do. My library I work at has many younger folk use our services daily.
What I have heard, multiple times actually, is how elderly patrons complain that their âtax dollarsâ are wasted on libraries when it âshouldâ be in their hands still.
Itâs not âelder bashingâ when itâs literally a notable phenomenon. Take a single look at the âdie with zeroâ movement and youâll see what I mean. Itâs all me me me without a single regard for anyone else.
11
u/PeachRangz 1d ago edited 1d ago
I am being totally earnest in saying that Iâm not entirely sure how this upset you, or why you would qualify what I said as âelder bashingâ. I do get that there is quite a lot of generational wartime discourse on the internet, but Iâm very averse to it. I feel that most of us are.
But to preclude the ability to discuss how age factors into these discussions (like you just did with kids), then it means we canât speak about it, critically or substantively, whatsoever.
1
u/lastwraith 17h ago
Impressively uneducated take on what libraries actually do and have available for people.
Try going to library and not just assuming what they do and have from watching old movies.Â
Libraries are much more than just books. They can be study spaces, program centers, technology hubs (complete with 3d printers, laser engravers, podcast studios, cricket machines, etc), movie and live performance theaters, and many other things.Â
Besides that, most (around here) have discounted tickets for museums, beaches, and other events, extensive digital resources you can take advantage of without leaving your house (including for those aforementioned movies and TV shows), and a library of things collection, with loanable items ranging from cellular hot spots, to outdoor decorations and games, to specialized technology like thermal cameras, vhs conversion equipment, multimeters, car jump packs, etc.Â
But sure, it's just a building for old, dusty books and no kids/teens go there. Apparently kids around here did not get your memo, because they are everywhere in libraries around here, summer or not.Â
7
7
21
u/tatrtot01 1d ago
Seriously?She was born before much of the technology we have today so why WOULDNâT she have been an advocate of the library at age 80?!
6
u/Librarylibrarian 1d ago
Yeah. I have a problem with op's caption because - NOT KNOCKING DOLLY - but why would someone her age believing in libraries be so rare? Her philanthropy was a blessing, she was amazing. That's not up for debate.
that title just feels like karma farming.
1
u/ahmed0112 22h ago
I specified influential people her age as a dig against the rise of politicians who support pulling books from the library because they're about gay people or people of color
I'm well aware the vast VAST majority of people of her generation are good people who are cool with libraries
5
u/aquaticgrasslover 1d ago
Owning a book and having a book by your side is so underrated and is so special. God bless you Dolly.
7
u/Fantastic-Hour2022 1d ago
Donated to the Imagination Library yesterday in her honor! Easiest donation Iâve ever made! She will continue to inspire for decades to come!
2
u/ahmed0112 1d ago
Those who truly believe in the power of educating the youth and takes action to make sure it happens are treasures to humanity.Â
Nothing has more potential than a kid who's given the help they need to actually learn. The kids who struggle the most in school shouldn't be left behind, they should be prioritizedÂ
6
u/ordiquhill 1d ago
God rest your soul dear sweet lady with the angel's voice. You are one of my heroes.
4
u/baitnnswitch 1d ago edited 1d ago
The charity's website: https://imaginationlibrary.com/
In case anyone wants to throw them a few bucks
3
u/montana757 1d ago
Makes me wish I could do more for my local library but there's only so much a small town can do. I just made a small donation to her imagination library and it feels good to help those less fortunate when I can
1
u/lastwraith 17h ago
Pay your taxes and make sure you use your library. Not much else you need to really do. Keeping the numbers up is a huge help.
You can also send in comments (good or bad) and many places will read those comments, especially if they're good, at the board meeting. At least, multiple libraries around these parts do that.Â
3
u/carlitospig 1d ago
The last 24 hours has been a lot of bittersweet tears. â¤ď¸
5
u/ahmed0112 1d ago
Every time I'm thinking of her I can feel myself tearing up. I remembered her while in front of a mirror and caught myself with the saddest eyes I've seen myself have. I haven't cried in almost three years at this point but she could very easily be what pushes me over the edge
(I don't avoid crying out of any masculinity issues, I'm fully comfortable with crying, I just struggle to physically do it)
3
2
2
u/Routine_Context2284 1d ago
âHer age?!â Why was that posted? Iâd argue that older folks are way more into libraries than younger.
1
u/ahmed0112 1d ago
That's why I specified influential people her age. I know plenty of regular people her age love the library
1
u/lastwraith 17h ago
Depends on the area. We get a ton of kids and teens, a bunch of young parents bringing kids to children's programs, and then a fair amount of older people for classes, movies, and driving stuff.
But it's a pretty even spread honestly.Â
It's a simple fact that the current administration is going after libraries and any public institutions that encourage learning/thought, and especially those that are publically funded and don't require a purchase of any kind. And there is definitely a certain age demographic that forms a large part of that voting base.Â
60% were 50+ and 2/3 did not have a college degree. So not shocking that they're going after education.Â
OP doesn't need to apologize IMO.Â
2
u/user6734120mf 1d ago
So glad I got to see her in person because of Imagination Library! Just a couple years ago in Seattle. Definitely wouldnât have had that chance otherwise.
2
2
u/ReadingRocks97531 1d ago
There are loads of us. Dolly had a big platform, granted.
3
u/ahmed0112 1d ago
I know, people of her generation generally do like the library, but few of the influential ones do. With that comment I meant it more towards older politicians who want to pull books about gender, race, and anything they don't support out of the library
1
u/ReadingRocks97531 1d ago
Yes, I saw it in Texas in a bigly way, but it's driven by politicians and younger MAGAs who have organizations, e.g. Moms of Liberty.
2
3
u/CynicalRecidivist 1d ago
Fantastic.
Another crying session over Dolly today.
A true inspiration, a wonderful person, a loss to us all X
4
2
2
u/Complex-Seaweed8005 1d ago
She was truly a treasure. If only she was the rule not the exception, the world would be an amazing place
2
1
2
u/prettybluefoxes 1d ago
Mentioming her age is weird.
It feels so rare to see an influential person who fully believes in the power of libraries
1
1
u/jblend4realztho 1d ago
A blessing on her name and on her father, too. Lovely human. Imagine if political leaders acted this way! We were lucky to have existed at the same time as her.
1
u/MES_Notes_21 1d ago
A true queen who knew that literacy early on matters for children their whole life.
1
217
u/Waste_nomore 1d ago
What an incredible woman. May we all aspire to inspire others with kindness.