Town of Miami Lakes Reflects on Dolly Parton’s Legacy Through Imagination Library Partnership

Town of Miami Lakes Reflects on Dolly Parton’s Legacy Through Imagination Library Partnership

August 25, 2026

Miami Lakes, FL – The Town of Miami Lakes joins communities across the nation in mourning the passing of Dolly Parton and recognizing a remarkable legacy that extends far beyond her celebrated career in music and entertainment.

For more than two decades, the Town of Miami Lakes has proudly supported Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, an early literacy initiative that provides free, age-appropriate books to children from birth to age five, delivered directly to their homes each month. Through the support of the Miami Lakes Town Council and the Town’s Education Advisory Board, the program has helped local families introduce children to the joy of reading from an early age.

The impact of the Imagination Library can be seen right here in Miami Lakes. To date, 30,730 books have been mailed to children in the Miami Lakes community through the program, helping families build home libraries and encouraging children to develop a love of reading during their earliest and most formative years.

“Dolly Parton understood that something as simple as putting a book into a child’s hands can have a lasting impact on that child’s future,” said Miami Lakes Mayor Joshua Dieguez. “Here in Miami Lakes, we have had the privilege of seeing that legacy firsthand. More than 30,000 books have made their way into the homes of our youngest residents, each one representing an opportunity to inspire curiosity, bring families together through reading and help create a lifelong love of learning.”

The Town’s local Imagination Library program received additional support in 2025 through a generous $15,000 contribution from Government Employees Health Association (G.E.H.A.), helping further the program’s mission of promoting early childhood literacy within the Miami Lakes community.

The Imagination Library was founded by Parton in 1995 in Sevier County in Tennessee and grew into an international literacy initiative that has placed hundreds of millions of books into the hands of children. The program was inspired by Parton’s belief in the power of education and her desire to give children opportunities through reading.

Families in Miami Lakes with children from birth to age five are encouraged to enroll in Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to receive a free, age-appropriate book delivered directly to their home each month. To learn more about the program, confirm eligibility, or register a child, visit the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library Miami Lakes registration page.

“Dolly gave the world unforgettable music, but she also gave millions of children the opportunity to build their very first library,” Mayor Dieguez added. “Miami Lakes is proud to be a small part of that incredible legacy. We will continue honoring it by supporting early literacy and investing in the future of our youngest residents, one child and one book at a time.”