The expansion of Parton’s Imagination Library comes nearly a month after her death and will double the programme’s reach across the British capital.
Previously available in just five of London’s 32 boroughs, the initiative will now operate in 10 boroughs, making an additional 157,000 children eligible to receive books each month.
The programme, which provides one free, age-appropriate book every month to children under the age of five, is the most prominent initiative of the Dollywood Foundation, the education-focused nonprofit Parton established in 1988.
Parton launched the Imagination Library in 1995, initially focusing on children in her native Sevier County, Tennessee. What began as a local effort has since developed into an international literacy programme serving children across all 50 US states and countries including the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and Ireland.
Over the 31 years since its launch, the programme has distributed more than 330 million books to more than three million children worldwide.
The latest expansion in London has added another chapter to the legacy of a woman whose influence extended well beyond music. While Parton became globally recognised for her songs and entertainment career, she was also widely known for her philanthropic work, particularly initiatives focused on children, education and literacy.
Jeff Conyers, president of the Dollywood Foundation, said the expansion reflected the long-term vision Parton had for the programme.
He told the BBC that Parton would have been “incredibly proud” to see the Imagination Library continue to grow after her death.
“Dolly always wanted the Imagination Library to be something that lived on for generations into the future,” Conyers said. “She was constantly pushing us about how we get the Imagination Library to more and more children and more and more…”
The programme's continued expansion means Parton’s efforts to encourage children to develop a love of books are extending to a new generation, ensuring that a project that began in her childhood community continues to reach families around the world.