The real star of the show could not make it but sent along a video message.
“Well, hello there, Illinois, it’s Dolly!” said Dolly Parton. “Illinois is officially expanding my Imagination Library statewide. We’re already hard at work with Gov. and First Lady Pritzker to ensure that every young child in Illinois is eligible to receive the gift of Imagination Library books.”
The governor visited the Bloomington Public Library Tuesday to announce the program, which will spend $1.6 million from the state budget to give all Illinoisans age zero to five a book a month.
Parton’s charity, inspired by her father’s illiteracy, has given away 224 million books worldwide.
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