Central Oregon leaders honor Dolly Parton’s legacy through Imagination Library
(UPDATE: Adding video; Dolly Parton's Imagination Library's impact on Central Oregon)
CENTRAL OREGON, Ore. (KTVZ) -- As fans around the world mourn the death of country music icon Dolly Parton at age 80, local educators and literacy advocates are reflecting on the lasting impact she made far beyond the stage.
Through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, thousands of children across Central Oregon have received free books and an early introduction to reading, creating a legacy that local leaders say will continue for generations.
Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995, inspired by her father’s inability to read and write. What began as an effort to provide books to children in her home county of East Tennessee has grown into an international program serving families in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and the Republic of Ireland.
The program provides free books each month to children from birth through age 5 through funding shared by the Dolly Parton Foundation and local community partners.
In Central Oregon, the program is administered through the Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon/Better Together.
Deschutes Public Library Director Todd Dunkelberg said access to books remains a critical need for many local families.
“We also know that there are many households in central Oregon where they don't have a single book,” Dunkelberg said. “And so anything we can do to get books in the hands of kids is vitally important. And what Dolly Parton did was really take that and make it happen.”
Mary Dailey, program coordinator for the Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon, said one of the most meaningful aspects of the program is the excitement children feel when the books arrive.
“One of the things that I think is really special about how these books are delivered is that children are actually mailed the books with their name on it,” Dailey said. “Little kids get to receive a piece of mail with their name on it, and it really becomes something that's special for them.”
The program has grown significantly since the Early Learning Hub became the local partner in 2018.
According to Dailey, 4,650 children are currently enrolled across Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties, as well as the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs. More than 4,000 children have graduated from the program during that time, bringing the total number of Central Oregon families served to nearly 9,000.
For Dailey, Parton’s contribution to childhood literacy extends far beyond the millions of books distributed worldwide.
“Her legacy really is the idea that she's taken books from being a luxury for some to a birthright for all,” Dailey said.
As news of Parton’s death spread Tuesday, Dailey also offered condolences on behalf of the local organization.
“We are so grateful to Dolly Parton for doing this work,” Dailey said. “She had such a beautiful vision for what this world could be, and what the joy of reading could be for children. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to offer our sincere condolences to her family and everyone who knew her and was a part of her life because she was such a force. We love you, Dolly.”
The Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon helps fund the local Imagination Library program through community partnerships and sponsors. The organization is seeking additional sponsors to help sustain the program in the years ahead.
People interested in learning more about the program or becoming a sponsor can visit Early Learning Hub of Central Oregon or call 541-693-5769.
Reported on August 25, 2026 - 11:04AM
Article from NBC News by Corky Siemaszko
(NBC News) -- Dolly Parton, who rose from a loving if impoverished upbringing in the mountains of East Tennessee to become the “Queen of Country” music, a Hollywood star and a beloved American icon, has died, her family announced on Tuesday.
Parton was 80.
Parton’s nephew, Brian Seaver, announced the news in a video posted on her Instagram.
“My name is Brin Seaver, son of Cassie Parton, and I’m representing the Parton and Owens family today announcing the passing of my aunt, Dolly Rebecca Parton Dean, Sister, Sis and Granny to one generation and Gigi to the next,” Seaver said in a video.
“This video announcement is something Dolly asked of me years ago, before I fully absorbed it as a future reality. As her head of security for more than two decades, a role my father Larry held before me, I have imagined the heaviness of this moment but haven’t truly felt it til now,” he added.
Her death came after Parton suddenly announced in May 2026 that she was canceling a Las Vegas show and said she'd been undergoing treatment for kidney stones for several years.
"Lord, they dig more stones out of me a year than the rock quarry in Rockwood, Tennessee," Parton said in a statement. "But seriously, my immune system and my digestive system got all out of whack over the past couple three years, and they’re working real hard on rebuilding and strengthening those and hopefully I’ll be up to snuff again soon."
During her more than 60-year career, Parton sold more than 100 million records and won 11 Grammy Awards, making her one of the best-selling musical performers of all time.
Parton also became a star on the silver screen, gaining a whole new audience and critical acclaim when she brought her Southern charm to movies like “9 to 5” (she wrote and sang the theme song), “Steel Magnolias” and "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."
Bedecked in blonde bouffant hairdos and never without her makeup, Parton also became one of the nation’s best known brands who parried questions about her hourglass figure and augmented breasts with her signature self-deprecating wit.
“It costs a lot of money to look this cheap,” Parton once said.
Parton was also a shrewd businesswoman who amassed an estimated $650 million fortune and maintained creative control in the cutthroat and male-dominated music industry. She presided over an entertainment empire that included the Dollywood theme park. And she was a devoted philanthropist who launched the Dollywood Foundation to provide poverty relief and fund educational programs in her native East Tennessee.
Never shy at expressing her Christian faith, Parton was also a public supporter of the LGBTQ community who advocated for marriage equality and spoke up in defense of transgender people.
