The iconic country music star passed away on August 25 at the age of 80, following “a brief battle with cancer.”
In her honor, the Library of Congress shared a photo of Parton reading to children along with this tribute:
“The Library is devastated to learn of the passing of @DollyParton, a music legend and titan of children’s literacy. Her Imagination Library program has earned multiple Library Literacy Awards and, in 2018, she visited us to donate its 100 millionth book to our collection and host a story time.”
During her 2022 acceptance speech for the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy, Parton expressed that although her father couldn’t read or write, “he was a very smart man, and I often wondered what he could have done had he been able to read and write. So that is the inspiration.”
Below, watch Parton commemorate the donation of her 100 millionth book at the Library of Congress in 2018:
