ome of the first Miami Lakes kids who ever got a book from Dolly Parton are now young adults - old enough to now have kids of their own to receive a free monthly book from the country music legend’s Imagination Library.
Parton never played a show in Miami Lakes. But as in so many places across the United States and the world, her legacy in the town will continue to be felt by her gift of books.
The singer-songwriter, builder of a business and entertainment empire and - perhaps most importantly to her - book-distributing philanthropist, died August 25 in Nashville. She was 80.
As condolences and rememberances have come in from around the world, many mentions have been made of the Imagination Library. The early literacy initiative provides free books to children from birth to age five. Children who participate in the program get a book mailed to them every month.
For more than two decades, the Town of Miami Lakes has supported the Imagination Library in bringing books to the youngest Miami Lakes residents.
According to the town, 30,730 books have been distributed to local children since the program first came to Miami Lakes in 2004. According to the Imagination Library, 296 children are currently served in Miami Lakes.
“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,” Miami Lakes Mayor Joshua Dieguez said. “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.”
Parton founded the Imagination Library in 1995 in Sevier County, Tennessee, the Smoky Mountain community where she grew up.
In interviews, she often spoke of growing up poor as one of 12 siblings, a theme that also emerged in her music. Her father, Lee, could not read or write. His struggles helped inspire her to begin the Imagination Library, which remains headquartered in Sevierville.
Miami Lakes’ Imagination Library program got a boost in 2025 through a $15,000 contribution from Government Employees Health Association.
For Dieguez, it’s special that Miami Lakes occupies its place in the vast sea of people helped by Parton’s desire to get kids reading.
“Dolly gave the world unforgettable music, but she also gave millions of children the opportunity to build their very first library,” he said. “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.”
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 imaginationlibrary.com/check-availability/, type in your zip code and information, and you will be taken to Miami Lakes registration.