@npr: Dolly Parton is being remembered as a larger-than-life talent who united fans all over the globe after the singer-songwriter died Tuesday in Nashville. Parton's Appalachian roots influenced what many might describe as one of her most enduring legacies yet: a literacy program for young children.   Parton celebrated the Imagination Library sending out 100 million books at a 2018 event at the Library of Congress, a number that's since risen to 330 million. Parton said the program was inspired by her father, who couldn’t read or write, and it started small, in 1995, covering her home county in East Tennessee. Since then, it's collaborated with local nonprofits and governments to expand access across the country, and beyond, to Canada, the U.K., Ireland and Australia.   Find “NPR News Now” wherever you listen to podcasts.   Host: Ryland Barton/NPR Reporter: Andrew Limbong/NPR Producer: Michael Zamora/NPR

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Thursday 27 August 2026 10:30:01 GMT