ACPL Celebrates Dolly Parton’s 80th Birthday with Children's Coloring Project

The Allen County Public Library (ACPL) is inviting families across Allen County to help celebrate the 80th birthday of music legend and literacy champion Dolly Parton with a special community-wide coloring project and a call to support early childhood literacy. 

This week, ACPL branches are offering free Dolly Parton–themed coloring pages for children and families to enjoy in the library or by downloading and printing at home. Completed coloring pages can be left at any ACPL branch through January 21. Then, librarians will compile them and mail them as a bundle of birthday wishes from the families of Allen County to Dolly Parton herself. 

“Dolly Parton has made an extraordinary impact on childhood literacy through her Imagination Library, and this is a joyful way for our community to say thank you,” said Susan P. Baier,  ACPL Executive Director. “We’re excited to see children’s creativity shine while celebrating Dolly's 80th birthday and the millions of kids she’s helped discover the magic of books.” 

In addition to participating in the coloring project, ACPL encourages community members to make a donation to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in honor of her milestone birthday. Donations support the organization’s mission to provide free, high-quality books to children from birth to age five, helping build strong early literacy foundations and a lifelong love of reading. 

To date, the Imagination Library of Allen County, a signature initiative of the ACPL Foundation, has placed more than 82,000 books in the hands of more than 8,800 Allen County children. It is currently funded by a combination of local donations and remaining matching funds from the State of Indiana. 

Families can stop by any ACPL branch to pick up a coloring page, learn more about the Imagination Library, and join in the celebration. For more information or to make a donation, visit acpl.info/imaginationlibrary.