{
  "id": 3353988,
  "title": "How Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library helps millions of kids discover reading",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/25/how-dolly-partons-imagination-library-helps-millions-of-kids-discover",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-25T21:16:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Fast Company",
    "slug": "fast-company",
    "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/91596008/dolly-parton-imagination-library-gives-books-to-millions-of-kids"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Legendary country music singer Dolly Parton, who passed away at 80, left a lasting legacy through her philanthropic efforts. One of her most notable contributions was the creation of Dolly Parton's Imagination Library, a literacy program that provides free books to children from birth to age five. In 1988, Parton founded the Dollywood Foundation to address the dropout rate in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee. She also established the Buddy Program, promising to give each seventh-grade student $500 if they graduated from high school. By having each student pledge to support their buddy in graduating, the dropout rate for both classes dropped from 35% to 6%. In 1995, Parton launched Imagination Library in Sevier County, which quickly grew into an international program. Currently, 1 in 6 children under five in the United States receive Imagination Library books. Over 300 million books have been donated globally since its inception. The program operates on a simple model: every month, Dolly's Imagination Library mails books to enrolled children, with no cost to their families. Local partners, including businesses, school districts, organizations, and individuals, manage the program in their communities. To contribute to Parton's legacy, individuals can check if Imagination Library is available in their area, donate to local partners, or become a local program partner themselves.",
  "summary": "Legendary music star Dolly Parton has died at the age of 80. The Queen of Country built an impressive career as a singer, songwriter, country music icon, actor, and businesswoman. She was also a philanthropist who dedicated much of her life to helping others. Parton leaves behind a lasting legacy through her efforts, which include creating a global literacy program, funding regular scholarships,…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}