Dolly Parton Program Is Helping Colorado Kids Read

Many Colorado kids get the chance to read thanks to Dolly Parton.

The famed singer and actress from Tennessee had her "Imagination Library" nonprofit expanded throughout the whole state in 2020.

The Imagination Library is Parton's book gifting program that's operated since 1995. Free books are given to children from birth to age five. A documentary about the program called "The Library That Dolly Built" airs at 5 p.m. on Dec. 9 on Facebook.

Senate Bill 185 signed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis included $50,000 in funding to allow for a statewide expansion of the program.

“I love Colorado,” Parton told the Denver Post in a recent interview. “I love all the people there and I’m so excited about the fact that it’s going statewide. I just want to encourage people to stay behind it and fund it, because we couldn’t do any of this without local organizations making it their own.”

The Imagination Library currently gifts more than 1 million free books each month to children in five countries.

The program was inspired by Parton's father, who was unable to read and write.