Dolly Parton Dedicates Her Imagination Library's 100 Millionth Book to the Library of Congress

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>> From the Library of Congress in Washington DC. >> Good morning! morning! Good morning! (Applause.) Good morning! And welcome to a very, very special day at the Library of Congress, I'm Carla Hayden and I can't tell you how excited we are because today we are celebrating literacy and learning and reading and we couldn't ask for a better person and organization to collaborate with today. Today our special guest is an advocate for books and the power of the written word for children. We are honored to have here at the Library of Congress multi award win be philanthropist. Dolly Parton. I think it's time to clap! I want to and I would be remiss if I didn't introduce some special guests in the audience, the wonderful staff and the leadership of the Dollywood foundation, led by Mr. David Dodson, they have been wonderful to work with! There is Mr. Dodson. We are delighted to have members of Congress, members of the Washington city council, our various partners in literacy and collaborators and our generous donors who make so much possible because today we're all here as cheerleaders for books and learning. Now, I have to tell you, when I started as a children's librarian I remember being inspired by a young woman who was on the south side of Chicago and her name was Judy Zucher and when I first walked into that branch library she was on the floor having story time with children with ought simple. simple. She was telling stories and it's wonderful where imagination and reading can take you. And today we have young people who will join us to have fun with books! Ms. Dolly Parton has been recognized many times for her dedication to the power of learning and for more than two decades her imagination library has helped hundreds of thousands of children worldwide, giving them high-quality books to own. own. No matter what their family's income and in 2014 she was awarded the Best Practices Award from the Library of Congress Literacy Foundation so today we are pleased we will be part of a milestone. The Imagination Library is about to give away their 100 millionth book, that's so many I could barely -- 100 millionth book and we are humbled -- plagues applause that that book will join with millions of others at the Library of Congress. That book will be given to us today. So when the foundation started 23 years ago, the first books were distributed to the Tennessee County where Dolly grew up and now it is a worldwide phenomenon. So without further ado I would like to share with you a video about the Imagination Library. [Video Plays] (Applause.) >> Now, please welcome, multi award winning singer, song writer and philanthropist, Ms. Dolly Parton! >> Hello! (Applause.) >> Thank you so much, hi there! Wow, hi up there! Well, it's nice to be here just in this wonderful place, D.C. , and certainly here in the Library of Congress what a beautiful building you have here? >> It's been called the most beautiful building in Washington, D.C. >> I think they're probably right. It's a beautiful day for us and I'm so happy and excited to be here and I was watching the film back there on the phone they had and I was watching all that and seeing how these things have happened through the years I'm proud and honored to be here today with you. >> We're honored that you're here because as you know >> Did you want to sit? >> Would you like to sit? >> Why not? >> They've seen us and they know, because I'm interested and I know a lot of our guests are interested in just how all of this got started! What inspired you to create this? This is such a great program. >> Well actually, the whole idea, the Imagination Library? I guess everybody has their story and a lot of you may or may not know about me personally, but I grew up in the smoky mountains of east Tennessee, and I grew up in a very large family, there were 12 of us kids and my dad was a very hard-working man, he group up in a family of 14 or 15 kids and my dad never had a chance to go to school. And daddy not couldn't read or write but he was the smartest person that I've every known. He thought he couldn't learn to read after he was grown, it was just one of those things and I had the idea to do something special for him, you know, in the Bible where it talks about honor your father and your mother, I don't think that necessarily means just to obey them, I think it means to bring honor to their name if you can. So I got my daddy involved with this little program. I wanted him to feel like he was part of something special. So we started the Imagination Library, where we were giving books to the children in our home county, in Sevier County, where we were born and raised. We hoped it would do good there. And it became such a popular program that the governor of Tennessee at that time thought the idea was so great they took it all over Tennessee. Later it went on into Canada and now we're all over the world in different parts of the world. So my dad got to live long enough to see a lot of it come into being. He took such pride in the fact that the little kids call me the "book lady." He was prouder of that than anything. So it started from a true place in my heart and it's done so much good for so many people through the years. >> How does it feel to be called the "book lady"? You do so much, you sing and write and everything but you're known so much as the "book lady. Did you ever think you would be the "book lady"? >> No. That never crossed my mind when I was growing up because I personally didn't like school! I do more homework now at night working on all these programs than I every did all the years that I was in school. I never thought about being the book lady, the painted lady, yes, the over-exagerrated, overdressed lady, yes but that just goes to show you, you can't judge a book by looking at the cover! Right? Or even the 100 Millionth book by looking at the cover. >> That's right, you can't tell. You love books and reading, so were there books that shaped you? You had favorite books? >> Well, we didn't have books in our home because there were so many of us kids, and daddy told us not to bring books home because kids just chew on them, pee on 'em, and do whatever kids do, so he said I can't afford to you know pay for books. So we didn't get to bring books home but one book in our home was the Bible and my mother used to always read from the Bible and tell us Bible stories so that was actually the first book that we had in our home. And the one that meant the most. It has followed me more than any other book through my life, actually. >> And you keep reading it? >> I do. In fact I love to read -- excuse me, I have tissues, everywhere! I need one right now! But anyway I loved to read and I do whatever it takes you know...but I actually loved anytime I was in school I loved all the fairy tales, I wanted to read all the books about the Kings and the Queens and all the traveling so books have always been a really special thing for me. >> But with your busy schedule how did you make time to read because you were still performing and doing so many things? >> I always take time to read. I think for anybody that does love to read you will find the time to read. I do some of my best thinking when I'm readin', if you know what I mean. I read probably at least 52 books a year. >> Wow! >> A book a week I try to read. So I've just always been a reader, but there is a part of my brain that kinda can think of other things while I am actually reading but it does relax my body and I have always loved to read because I think in books, I think with kids, too, with the books that they read it inspires you to dream, and if you can dream, that leads you to success and to other things. That's why I think it's so important to get the books in the hands of all these special little kids so they can start early and go late with 'em! >> And they love it. So you make time for reading. Does any of the reading help you with some of your song writing and some of the things that you read about? >> These are good questions and yes, it does, because I'm really inspired by just people in general. Just like the little kids, a lot of things that I write I have a children's CD out called "I believe in you" and a lot of the songs from that were inspired by the books that are in the Imagination Library and the Little Engine that Could is the first book that we give out in the Imagination Library and I think it talks about how to build confidence and to know that you can if you think you can so I really am inspired by just looking at these faces today. I will feel something or think something and who knows what idea it might trigger in me later on to write a song about. When you write you go by feelings and what touches you and how it touches you and you find a clever way to put it into a song. >> You mentioned that sometimes the books can inspire feelings and things in children and I know that you started the library because you believed in what books mean and could mean to children. I know I've seen it happen and I've felt it as a child. >> You of all people would know because you've been doing this for how many years? You said long before you got to this beautiful building! >> Too long! I remember the books that inspired me when I was young and you believe that, too? >> Yeah, I do. I really think that -- we're inspired by everything and children themselves inspire me and I'm sure they do you, that's why you wanted to work with children. Because there is such a world in every little child. There is a whole world and they're going to see it and make things come true in their little world and they're going to add to the world as they see fit according to their talents and their little personalities, that's why it's so important that they learn to love books and learn to read and be inspired by that. Because just like with my dad, My dad couldn't read but he really was smart. He picked up on things and he was very intuitive. It's my belief if you can read, even if you don't have the money to go to school, you can especially anymore -- you can find a book, if you can read, on anything that you want to know, you can self-educate yourself and go to college, even, you can pick up those kinds of books even if you can't get outside your house you can find a book on any subject and you can educate yourself to where you can know about things and actually just increase your intelligence and your -- just the whole world around and you inspire other people with that. >> And what about owning a book and saying this is my book! It's got my name in it! >> That's what I love about the Imagination Library because that was one of the things we thought was so important when we first started it. And so we wanted the little children to have that book. They get a book for those of you that don't know the whole thing, I guess they talked about some of it, but children get a book from the time they're born they get a book a month until they start kindergarten, they're 5 years old, so we send a book in the mail with their name on it, it's not in care of mom and dad it's got their little name on it and they love to think this is mine! They wait at the mailbox, get their little book, and to them it's personal. So they're going to take that in the house and make somebody read it to 'em because this is my stuff, my stuff, my stuff! (Laughter.) >> So I think that has been a real important thing because they also share it with other kids. We're so happy we're such a part of that and of all the things I have done in my life and it's been a lot, because I've been around a long time but this is one of the most precious things and the proudest I am of any program that I've ever been involved in in my life is working with the little kids. >> And you should be, because after getting a book a month they're going to have their own little library. >> Yeah, they do. >> In their houses, this will be their library and their books and they can pull 'em out. >> And they love that. They love sharing that with kids. >> You mentioned, though, that sometimes you get letters that talk about what happens after they're not in the program. >> Yeah, actually we get a lot of letters when the kids are in the program, we get letters all the time from parents and kids, but some of the sweetest letters we get -- in fact I'll never forget the first one I got was from a little boy that had graduated from the Imagination Library, he was 6 years old and he was bummed out about it! He was really mad because he just wanted me to continue to send him books! He thought this is just not fair, this is just not right that I can't continue to get my books! That's how important it is to them. I wrote him back a sweet letter and explained how we do it and that's why -- he was being prepared because he was using his mind to think about all that! We get a lot of sweet letters and we treasure every one of them. >> And then he can get a library card. >> Yeah! (Chuckles.) >> Did you ever think you would get to 100 million books when you started. I mean that's phenomenal! >> Not when we started. Like I said, it was a very personal thing when we started and I just hoped it would do good in in our county, and then as I mentioned it just grew and grew but at that time it was something I was doing for my dad and the kids in our home county. But thank the Lord, he was good! And now we've got David Dodson who is the President of the Imagination Library, stand up there for a second, David! (Applause.) He works so hard and he makes me look really good, I take a lot of credit for a lot of work that David and all these wonderful folks at the Imagination Library they do. He travels all over the world making sure that all these wonderful things happen, making sure that all the things that we brag about can happen. I just get out and talk about it and do my part but it's always like that with anything that you're proud of! It takes a whole bunch of people to make things happen and we owe the real thing to the communities and all the people that participate, all the organizations that really get involved and they're really the ones that are making my dreams come true. It's just one of those things that everybody takes a lot of pride in. Because if you're doing something with children how can you not feel good about that! Look at 'em? Hi there! Hello! So, anyway, it's a good feeling all around, it's a win-win as they say. >> As I said, at the beginning, we are so honored that the 100 millionth book will be given to the Library of Congress for our youngsters. >> We have an unveiling -- >> I want to say how honored I am before we pull that little thing up that you have taken this to heart and that you have taken this in and that we will now have this book that I can actually have here forever for all the little children all over the world certainly in the United States of America here in D.C. It's a wonderful place to have this. Hopefully through the years we have 100 million books so far and maybe we will be back for our billionth book, wouldn't that be nice! You want to see what's under there? >> It's a beautiful story, there it is, 100 millionth book! >> This is the coat of many colors which is a little story -- this lady right here, let me mention her name, this is -- what's your name again? (Laughter.) >> This is the person who drew >> Yeah, she illustrated this book and we appreciate your name is Brook Hughes and she illustrated this and I hope you had as much fun drawing this as I did writing it. >> I did, it was an honor to be part of the project and I loved getting to illustrate your beautiful song. >> Everybody loves it, this song is important to me because my mother -- I was talking about my dad, my dad was so very important but my mother to have 12 kids and make 'em all feel special with no money, she had all the love in the world and it's about the little story about -- she told me the story about Joseph and the coat of many colors when she was making me a little raggedy coat that I really needed because it was getting wintertime and I needed it. So made that and she just had the foresight to give me some pride in it. To tell me the story about the coat of many colors so this book is more than a story and it's more than a song, it's about love, it's about attitude, and actually it's turned out to be an antibullying book. They use this in some classrooms to talk about antibullying, and I want kids to know it is okay for you to be how you are and who you are. It's good to be different. We can't all be the same but we have we have to love the differences and accept the differences in each other too. So that's kind of what this little book is about. It's just about love and understanding. Thank you. >> And thank you. I see you have the coat here. >> This little coat is a replica of the little coat that my mom made for me because momma used to - people used to send us big boxes of scraps because momma used to make all our clothes and the quilts for our bed and the curtains for our windows, and she usually made them out of scraps that people would send to us. This little coat, she just didn't have enough of one fabric to make me a coat so that's why she used the pieces and that inspired her to tell me the story from the bible. So that's what this coat -- we actually -- this coat, that little song and the story has lived forever, we even had a couple of movies on TV about the little coat and it got good ratings, so it really shows people are about family and they are about love and it's good to feel that warmth and that love about parents because this day and time we don't have enough family stuff, there is so much stuff going on out there that little kids -- I love being able to touch the kids and tell them stories and for them to feel what it was like back then but it's really how it should be now as far as the love and acceptance and understanding of not only just others but your parents as well. >> Well, we have also a special announcement. The Library of Congress is partnering with the Imagination Library and to celebrate the program and what we are doing, the last Friday in every month is going to be a special Imagination Library story time. >> Yay! >> And they will be available and it will be live streamed to libraries throughout the country so people can participate. We are delighted that you have agreed to kick it off and actually read right here and start the Imagination Library story time at the Library of Congress. >> Well I can do that. I guess you want me to I guess you want me to read the coat of many colors book, right? >> And we would love for you to read this book! >> Are we going down? >> I think we're going to go down because -- >> Is there a chair there? Oh, they're going to have me come down there, so I will be -- you be careful, hold on to me and I'll hold on to him. Okay. Hello! Hello! Hello! Hello kiddies! You want me to read a book to you? You do? Well I'm gonna! I gotta get my book lady glasses on though so I can see! How's that? Do I look like the book lady now? Hi. This is called -- it says Dolly Parton, that's my name and what's your name? Nice to see you, Sammy. This says "coat of many colors" and it's got the little girl that's supposed to me when I little wearing her coat of many colors. Let me find my real page here. So it starts with all these pretty pictures of my mom and my dad and my pretty pictures of my mom and my dad and brothers and So it starts with all these my brothers and sisters in here so this says "Back through the years I go wanderin' once again back to the seasons of my youth. I recall a box of rags that someone gave us and how my momma put those rags to use. There were rags of many colors but every piece was small. I didn't have a coat and it was way down in the fall. So momma sewed the rags together, she sewed every piece with love and made my coat of many colors that I was so proud of. As momma sewed she told a story from the Bible she had read about a coat of many colors Joseph wore and then she said, I hope this coat will bring you good luck and happiness. And I couldn't wait to wear it, and momma blessed it with a kiss. So with patches on my britches and holes in both my shoes, in my coat of many colors I hurried off to school. Just to find the others laughing and making fun of me in my coat of many colors that momma made for me. In my coat of many colors that my momma made for me, made only from rags but I wore it so proudly! Although we had no money, I was rich as I could be, in my coat of many colors momma made for me. So with patches my britches and holes in both my shoes, in my coat of many colors I hurried off to school. Just to find the others laughing and making fun of me, in my coat of many colors that momma made for me. And I couldn't understand that, because I felt I was rich! I told 'em of the love momma sewed in every stitch. I even told 'em all that story momma told me while she sewed and why my coat of many colors was worth more than all their clothes. But they didn't understand it and I tried to make them see that one is only poor only if they choose to be. It's true we had no money, but I was rich as I could be in my coat of many colors momma made for me. 'Cuz momma made it just for me. The end. Ta da. (Applause) Did you like that? O.K. so there's your coat of many colors. I'm going to go back up on stage for a minute. minute. >> O.K. So here we are >> That was so nice! >> Dr. Hayden I thought, well, I got to that part I thought why not sing that little part in case they hadn't heard that. >> Well, not only will the Library of Congress have the 100 million 100 millionth book, all the young people today who have heard the story, you're going >> Well, not only will the Library of Congress have the 100 millionth book, all the young people today who have heard the story, you're going to get your own copy of a "Coat of many colors >> Well, not only will the Library of Congress have the 100 millionth book, all the young people today who have heard the story, you're going to get your own copy of a "Coat of many colors". >> Yes, you are! >> You can take it when you leave and you're going to have a special CD, something that you can play with the music and you can hear Ms. Parton's voice, too, so we are glad you could be here. Remember, reading is fun, so we have Remember, reading is fun, so we have the book lady and the library lady and a new partnership with the Imagination Library. >> Yes, we do! Thank you, everyone! (Applause.) >> All right, are we heading out? >> We're going to head out and give out books. >> Thank you everybody? >> Thank you so much. >> This has been a presentation of the Library of Congress. Visit us at loc dot gov.
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Channel: Library of Congress
Views: 7,231
Rating: 4.8222222 out of 5
Keywords: Library of Congress
Id: BjY69RCxaM8
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Length: 31min 55sec (1915 seconds)
Published: Mon Mar 19 2018
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