Thousands of kids in Pittsburgh are growing up surrounded by books thanks to Dolly Parton.
Through her Imagination Library program, the country music icon and philanthropist helped provide millions of free books to young children worldwide. Close to a million of those books went to kids in Pittsburgh and its surrounding communities.
Following the announcement of Parton's death on Aug. 25, the city remembered her for her effect on kids through the program.
Here's how Parton impacted Allegheny County.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library inspires literacy worldwide
Founded in 1995, Parton's Imagination Library gifts free books to children from birth to age five, providing one book per registered child per month at no cost. At a local level, businesses, school districts, organizations and individuals work to promote
the program and enroll eligible kids.
Parton launched the program, which initially served Sevier County, Tennessee, before expanding internationally, in honor of her father, who couldn't read.
"He was the smartest man I have ever known but I know in my heart his inability to read probably kept him from fulfilling all of his dreams," she wrote in a letter to fans. "Inspiring kids to love to read became my mission."
At the time of her death, the program had distributed more than 332,000,000 books to kids around the world, according to the Imagination Library website.
Pittsburgh's Imagination Library gifts nearly a million books in Pittsburgh area
Pittsburgh remembered Parton for her kindness and love of literacy, with the city sharing her impact on children following her death.
"Dolly Parton has left an incredible legacy across the world for her music, her philanthropy and the Dolly Parton Imagination Library," the City of Pittsburgh said in a Facebook post. "Thanks to her generosity and light, 306,352 free books have been delivered to families across Pittsburgh. We honor her lasting impact throughout the community."
That number includes the number of books sent to families in the city since 2019. And even more have been delivered throughout the region.
The Imagination Library in Pittsburgh serves families in the city, as well as residents in 20 additional zip codes outside Pittsburgh. Within the city, there are 4,900 children enrolled, and outside of the city, 4,308 kids have enrolled. In total, the program has mailed 924,270 books.
Where is my Imagination Library program? How do I sign up?
You can locate your Imagination Library program on imaginationlibrary.com.
Allegheny County has three local programs through the Imagination Library — Reading Ready Pittsburgh, which serves Pittsburgh and the Mon Valley community; Fox Families Care for families in Fox Chapel School District; and Riverside Women's Association, where families in Riverview School District and certain neighborhoods in Penn Hills and Plum can get books delivered.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Dolly Parton's Imagination Library impacted Pittsburgh-area kids
