Kansas City PBS is thrilled to partner with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to livestream a special event featuring country music legend Dolly Parton. Join us YouTube on Tuesday, Aug. 27, at 11 a.m. for a celebration of the Imagination Library of Missouri, a free book-gifting program that has already provided over 17,000 Missouri children under five with free monthly books.

During the livestream, audiences will hear from Governor Mike Parson about the program's profound impact on Missouri's children, enjoy a conversation with Dolly Parton, and be treated to a brief performance by Dolly herself!

Thanks to the Imagination Library and the work of nearly 60 local affiliates, more than 17,000 Missouri children will receive free books every month. Parton created the Imagination Library in 1995 as a tribute to her father, who struggled to read. What started as a local effort in her hometown of Sevier County, Tennessee, has since grown into an international initiative that distributes more than 2.6 million books every month. 

"I was so excited to hear that now every child in Missouri is eligible for my Imagination Library!” Dolly said in a statement. “I want to personally thank the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Childhood, Governor Parson, and everyone else involved for making this happen."

To learn more about Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Missouri, visit here.