Today, we’re honoring the legacy of Dolly Parton, not just the country music icon, but a staunch champion for children and literacy. With her Imagination Library, Dolly sparked a love of reading for millions of kids all around the world. And that magic? It’s touching families right here in Sarasota, Charlotte, and Lee counties.
The Imagination Library isn’t just an idea. It’s a program that puts real books into little hands, helping kids dream, learn, and grow, all starting with a simple story. That’s Dolly’s legacy, and it’s one that sticks around, changing lives for generations to come. Thank you, Dolly, for turning little readers into lifelong dreamers.
Here in Florida, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library brings those stories straight to our communities through local partnerships. In Charlotte County, the Gilstad Literacy Foundation runs the program with support from groups like the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, sending free books to kids from birth to five years old. You can sign up locally through the Charlotte County Imagination Library.
Sarasota County runs things through the Library Foundation for Sarasota County, making sure families get age-appropriate books right in the mail.
In Lee County, the United Way keeps the program going, funding enrollment for young children across the area.
Dolly has made other memories here in Sarasota, too. She performed at the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall back in 2011 for her Better Day World Tour. Even earlier, in 1968, she took the stage at Robarts Arena with Porter Wagoner as part of the Festival of Stars Country Music Jamboree.
What an incredible inspiration Dolly was to all. Dolly’s Imagination Library is a living legacy for children from birth right until their fifth birthday. If you want to get involved or sign up, just check with the Charlotte County Imagination Library for local details, explore what Sarasota’s Library Foundation offers for regional early literacy programs, or in Lee County, contact United for Reading.
Thank you, Dolly, for making the world a better place. That’s how Dolly’s gift keeps growing: one book, one child, one dream at a time.
Click here for more information about Dolly’s Imagination Library.
