Dolly Parton's impact can be felt throughout the United States, including in Washington DC, where library officials said more than 100,000 children in the city benefitted through her Books from Birth program.
Parton, who died Tuesday at 80, was known around the world for her music and acting career, but her philanthropic work also left a lasting mark on generations of children.
In DC, that legacy can be found in the mailboxes of families across the District.
The DC Public Library launched STAR: Books from Birth in February 2016 in partnership with Parton's Imagination Library. The program provides children under age 5 with one free, age-appropriate book every month, building a home library before they even enter school.
Since its launch, the program
has mailed nearly 4 million books to more than 100,000 DC children, according to the library. As of February, it was reaching 77% of children under 5 in the District.
And following Parton's death, library officials made clear just how much they valued her role in bringing that program to DC.
“We are profoundly indebted to her,” DC Public Library Executive Director Richard Reyes-Gavilan said in a statement, citing not only Parton's music and cultural influence but also her “unwavering belief that every child deserves access to books and the opportunities they create.”
Reyes-Gavilan also recalled meeting Parton as “one of the absolute thrills” of his professional life.
“We will always love Dolly Parton,” he said.
DC Councilmember Charles Allen first encountered Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library while visiting family in Tennessee, where he saw firsthand how excited his young niece was to receive her monthly book.
The experience inspired Allen to explore bringing the program to DC, eventually helping build support among the DC Council and mayor to launch it citywide.
"There's a child somewhere in DC right now that has books because of Dolly Parton, and they just know her as the book lady," Allen told NBC Washington.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why the DC Public Library is 'profoundly indebted' to Dolly Parton
