Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program provides free books to kids.

A Tennessee children's hospital changed its name to Dolly Parton Children's Hospital.

Dolly Parton hosted two separate variety television shows called 'Dolly.'

Dolly Parton released her first recording at age 13, a rockabilly number she cowrote called 'Puppy Love.'

Before becoming a country superstar, Dolly Parton recorded girl group-style singles as a teenager, including one that became a hit outside the US.

Dolly Parton teamed up with country star Porter Wagoner in 1967 as a cohost on his popular TV show.

Virtually all public libraries in the US offer free internet access

Beyond providing internet access, libraries have also expanded into broad digital hubs for communities. Ninety percent offer basic digital literacy training, 76% help patrons navigate online government services, and 73% assist people with job applications.

2 months after Pearl Harbor, American libraries launched a drive to collect 10 million books for soldiers

The 1942 Victory Book Campaign—sponsored by the American Library Association, the Red Cross, and the USO—asked the public to donate books to both train and entertain troops. The national campaign exceeded its goal, collecting more than 10.2 million books.

Dolly Parton produced the original 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' movie.

Explore the best Dolly Parton songs, including 'Jolene,' '9 to 5,' and many more.

Explore the unexpected ways people use public libraries in this 'This American Life' episode

Libraries serve as far more than book repositories. This episode follows a family experiencing homelessness that spent months living in their local library, Iranian students reuniting with family across the US-Canada border because the library straddled both countries, and a Vermont man who built his own library to house unpublished manuscripts.

Read a 1984 interview with Dolly Parton, conducted by artist Andy Warhol.

Dolly Parton jumped to Hollywood in the 1980s, where she became a bona fide movie star.

The federal government distributes more than $160M in grants directly to libraries each year

The Institute of Museum and Library Services distributes funds annually to State Library Administrative Agencies, which support statewide initiatives and channel funds to public and academic libraries.

Public libraries are funded by a mix of local taxes, state grants, and federal programs.

Dolly Parton recorded two albums with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris under the name Trio.

Dolly Parton consistently declined opportunities to align herself with politicians.

Andrew Carnegie donated $56M to build 2,509 public libraries worldwide

Carnegie, who left school at 12 and credited borrowed books for his self-education, began funding libraries in 1881. Of the 2,509 libraries built, 1,681 were in the United States. He required each community to maintain the library as a condition of his gift.

Circulating libraries helped the novel's popularity surge

As literacy rates began to rise in the 19th century, so did the demand for reading materials. The only problem? Newspapers and books weren’t cheap, and newly literate middle-class families struggled to afford literature. That changed when booksellers began offering small fees for patrons who decided to borrow rather than purchase books. This was eventually called a circulating library, an innovation that would satisfy the burgeoning readership of novels and increase literacy rates further.

Elvis Presley wanted to record 'I Will Always Love You,' but Dolly Parton refused.

A 2026 survey found that Dolly Parton is far more popular in the US than the world's politicians.

Dolly Parton initially declined her nomination for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, though the Hall inducted her anyways.

Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers' 'Islands in the Stream' was written by the Bee Gees.

Benjamin Franklin founded America's first lending library, the Library Company of Philadelphia, in 1731.

'9 to 5' was Dolly Parton's first No. 1 pop hit.

Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' is a widely covered standard that's been a No. 1 hit multiple times.

Dolly Parton wrote the song '9 to 5' on the set of the movie '9 to 5.'

How the NSF Public Understanding of Science program fueled science interest and literacy

To support STEM education at all levels and in all settings, the NSF has invested in public-facing science projects since 1957. These investments produced science education storytelling and entertainment programming, including "Bill Nye the Science Guy," "The Magic School Bus," and the "Flight of the Butterflies" and "Blue Whales" IMAX films.

See inside the Boston Public Library, the first city-run free public library in the US

Founded in 1848, the McKim building opened in 1895 during a period of cultural optimism and social reform. Its Beaux-Arts architecture features marble staircases, murals by John Singer Sargent, and a Renaissance-inspired courtyard.

Benjamin Franklin donated the books that became the first true public library in the US.

A young Dolly Parton felt confined by her partnership with country star and TV host Porter Wagoner.

Connecticut recently became the first state to create and launch a baby bond program, a government-funded savings or investment account that is seeded when a child is born.

Independent bookstores are expanding across the country, though studies show literacy rates are rapidly declining, with only 35% of American high school seniors considered proficient readers.

Dolly Parton's 'Jolene' was partly based on a real woman who flirted with Parton's husband.

As disco grew more popular, country star Dolly Parton experimented with the genre.

Illustrator Ian Falconer's 'Olivia' piglet character was based on his niece

The New Yorker illustrator first began drawing fun pictures of a young pig named Olivia in the 1990s for his niece of the same name. Now, the books have sold millions and have been turned into a TV show. Meet the real Olivia behind the character in this brief interview.

Dystopian books have grown especially popular with younger audiences

In the late 2000s, Suzanne Collins’s dystopian "The Hunger Games," a young adult book series where impoverished children are pitted against one another for entertainment, spent over five years on The New York Times bestseller list.

The federal agency dedicated to supporting museums and libraries spent $280M in 2024

The Institute of Museum and Library Services—a division of the National Endowment for the Arts and Humanities—administered $294M in FY 2024, accounting for nearly 40% of the National Endowment's total spending.

The Internet Archive is a nonprofit digital library of the Web

Founded in 1996, the Archive promotes open access and the digital preservation of online information and, as of 2026, contains more than 200 petabytes of content, including over one trillion web pages, 56 million books and texts, 13 million audio recordings, 1.3 million software programs, and other digital content.

Science-fiction legend Ray Bradbury couldn't afford college, but he spent several days a week in his local library, teaching himself how to become a writer.

Dolly Parton's 'I Will Always Love You' was written as a goodbye for her musical collaborator, Porter Wagoner.

What are baby bonds?

In 2008, Hillary Clinton proposed giving every US newborn a $5,000 government-funded trust, often called a “baby bond,” to help low-income families build long-term wealth. Supporters said it could reduce wealth inequality, while critics argued existing programs like the Child Tax Credit offered similar benefits.

One Connecticut prison is using pickleball for rehabilitation

The Pickleball for Incarcerated Communities League started in 2023 at the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Hartford, Connecticut, but has already expanded to other facilities across the state. Inmates say it's been transformative. The program has plans to expand to other states.

Why is Bob Dylan on Patreon?

The singer's notorious for his inscrutability, but his venture into the content subscription website might be one of his stranger choices, especially given the posted content that resembles AI-generated material. Pitchfork's Nina Corcoran surveys the site and tries to make sense.

How Lyndon Johnson created public radio

The Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, part of the president's Great Society plan, established the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which later led to the incorporation of National Public Radio. Originally, the bill was intended solely to establish public television; before Johnson signed the act, slips of paper reading "and radio" were literally Scotch-taped next to each mention of "television."

A quote by Florence Nightingale

"Poetry and imagination begin life."

Book-banning attempts remained near record highs in 2025

The American Library Association recorded 4,235 unique titles challenged in 2025, the second-highest level ever documented. Nearly all challenges, 92%, came from organized groups or government officials rather than individual parents.

Famed investor Ray Dalio and his wife, Barbara Dalio, have donated money to help fund new investment accounts for US children called 'Trump Accounts.'

The Dalios have committed $250 per child to 300,000 children under 10 years old in Connecticut who live in ZIP codes where the median income is less than $150K—an expected total of at least $75M. The money is designated for "Trump Accounts," or investment accounts with $1K provided to children to put towards education or starting a small business.

Read the works of Charles Dickens

Dickens' work has long been in the public domain, meaning it's freely available to readers. Project Gutenberg's collection of Dickens' novels allows you to read classic novels like "Oliver Twist" and "A Tale of Two Cities," as well as early works like "Sketches by Boz," at no cost.

Netflix started in 1997 as a mail-order DVD rental service

The first Netflix customers selected DVDs from the company’s website and received and returned them through regular mail. The approach included no late fees and quickly added the ability to rent an unlimited number of DVDs for a flat monthly fee, with the company passing 1 million subscribers in 2003.

Nine Black students were arrested in 1961 for refusing to stop reading at a segregated Mississippi library

Public libraries across the South were segregated by law, with Black residents directed to separate, underfunded facilities. When nine Tougaloo College students sat down to read at the whites-only Jackson Municipal Library, they were arrested. Their act helped the NAACP push for the desegregation of public spaces in Jackson.