HANCEVILLE, Ala. – The Shirley Burden Public Library in Hanceville held a Remembrance Tea Party on Sept. 5, honoring the life and legacy of the American singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist, Dolly Rebecca Parton.
Parton made major contributions to literacy efforts worldwide with her Imagination Library that was established in 1995. Three million children, at present day, are registered and receive one free book per month. So far, 330 million books have been distributed worldwide.
Library Manager Teresa Rivera, when asked if the event was set on Sept. 5 as a reference to Parton’s song “9 to 5” said, “Oh! That’s perfect, but it actually wasn’t done on purpose!”
The overall goal of the Shirley Burden Public Library, and all public libraries in the Cullman County Public Library System, is to provide free resources for the betterment of the community. Honoring Parton and her devotion to children worldwide is a way to carry on her legacy.
Parton started the Imagination Library as a tribute to her father who never learned to read or write, Rivera stated in an interview with The Tribune.
Rivera gave credit to Jennifer Miller with Southern Party Specialists for the idea for the event. “She came in on the day that Dolly passed, Aug. 28. She came into the library and asked if we wanted to do a remembrance tea party. Of course I agreed. So this is all her. I give her all the credit. I couldn’t have done it without her. She’s been wonderful and her company has been wonderful with us.”
Rivera said the party inspired her to research Parton and read of her accomplishments, specifically that of Imagination Library.
“I was so impressed with how she lived her life!” Rivera emphasized. “She brought the Imagination Library to children to help them learn to read and to better themselves.”
Rivera explained that their goal is to accomplish even a fraction of what Parton achieved in a lifetime for surrounding communities.
She also noted that Parton, with her first earnings from fame, bought her family a home in Sevier County, Tennessee, moving them out of their run-down cabin. This inspired the library to put together trivia questions pertaining to Parton’s personal life and path to fame.
This included her date of birth on Jan. 19, 1946, that she was from Locust Ridge, Tennessee, and musical facts such as writing over 3,000 songs, with “I Will Always Love You” being her most popular, and much more.
The library served tea and cake, among other sweet treats, to the participants in as much pink and butterfly-themed Tupperware as possible! Hanceville Mayor Nolan Bradford also joined in on the celebration.
Bradford told The Tribune that his favorite Dolly Parton song would have to be “9 to 5.” “That’s a good one.”
The library has a few of Parton’s feature films such as “Steel Magnolias” (1989) and “9 to 5” (1980), available for checkout.
Individuals can subscribe to the Imagination Library’s mailing list at https://imaginationlibrary.com/mailing-list/ and may even use the public library’s computer access to do so.
The Shirley Burden Public Library is located at 201 Commercial St. in Hanceville. Find it online at Facebook/Hanceville Public Library.
