BALTIMORE — The death of Dolly Parton has brought renewed attention to her singing career and her decades-long effort to put books into the hands of children around the world.
At Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Library, the Dolly Parton Imagination Library program remains a cornerstone of the city's literacy efforts. Seven thousand children in Baltimore receive books through the program, with the local library playing a supporting role.
"And lots of studies have shown that having a home library is really important for inspiring a love of books from an early age, so this helps people develop that home library," Liz Sundermann-Zinger, Executive Director of External Affairs, said.
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library leaves a lasting legacy in Baltimore
Parton's generosity sparked an interest in reading for generations in Baltimore and across the globe.
"What I hear is people who say that they received the books and now they want their children or their nieces or nephews or their grandchildren even to receive the books. I think it's been going on for about 40 years," Sundermann-Zinger said.
Parton visited the area in 1978 and 1989. A sculpture of her stands at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia.
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra plans to move forward with its Dolly Parton's Threads: My Songs in Symphony performance, scheduled for May of next year.
"In light of Dolly's passing, we know this performance will carry even greater meaning for audiences. Threads was created to celebrate her extraordinary life and music in her own words and through the songs that defined her remarkable career," the orchestra said.
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