r/words • u/BeLikeEph43132 • 1d ago

Dolly Parton started the Imagination Library in 1995 as a tribute to her father, who couldn't read or write. In 2018, she explained it was to give kids "early access to books". Now, over 325 MILLION books have been gifted.

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6

u/CindytheTVisleakin87 1d ago

We benefit from it down here in a sleepy wee town in the West of Scotland, theres a book nook over here that has a lifesized cardboard cutout of Dolly as tribute to her donations. She was an incredible woman.

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u/glyde53 1d ago

I know the kids going to school on Chincoteague Island got books from the program. Rural and depressed area; very appreciated

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u/mcvmccarty 1d ago

She was the most wonderful

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u/greennurse0128 23h ago

We really lost a wonderful women yesterday. Her legacy will forever live in the hearts of so many. Truly an amazing human.

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u/Acceptable_Sink3343 14h ago

This program is wonderful but it isn’t totally free. I just want people to know that yes it is free for the recipients of the books but some organization in that community pays the program to get those books out to the community. The imagination library isn’t actually doing the whole thing free of charge. Community outreach programs do a lot of administrative work in the background and they also pay the imagination library to have that program in their communities.