Did Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library donate books to children in Israel?

Amid news of singer Dolly Parton’s death at age 80 in August 2026, many people looked back at her charitable work through the Imagination Library, an organization she founded that has provided millions of free books to children in the U.S. and other countries. 

An online debate ensued on X about whether Parton had donated books to Israeli children, part of a broader discourse about her alleged views on the state of Israel. Some posts claimed Parton worked with PJ Library (archived), an organization that sends free books to Jewish children worldwide, including children in Israel. 

One X user wrote: “People accusing Dolly of being evil because she MAYBE donated books to some Israeli children?”

(X user @K1TKATCLUBS)

There is no evidence the Imagination Library has ever operated in Israel. According to its website, the organization operates only in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland and Australia. In 2022, the Library announced it would provide free books each month to 200 refugee children in London until they turn 5. 

We reached out to the Library for a response to claims about its ties to Israel. Tracy Long, a director with the Dollywood Foundation, which funds Imagination Library, directed us to its website where it states its operations are limited to the U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland and Australia. 

PJ Library is a program run by The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, a Jewish philanthropic organization. It operates in Israel through a Hebrew-language counterpart, Sifriyat Pijama, and Arabic-language companion program, Maktabat al-Fanoos. While PJ Library was inspired by Imagination Library, the two organizations were not formal partners. Parton expressed support for PJ Library’s work in an interview, but according to a PJ Library spokesperson she did not support it financially. 

As such, we rate this claim as false.

Snopes reached out to PJ Library and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation to ask about the rumor. Spokesperson Mark Gold told Snopes over email that Parton was never formally involved in the group’s work (emphasis ours):

No, there was never a formal partnership between PJ Library and the Imagination Library, nor did Ms. Parton donate books or funds to PJ Library or PJ Library initiatives in Israel. Mr. Grinspoon was inspired by the Imagination Library, but the PJ Library program was developed independently of the Imagination Library.  PJ Library is funded by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and other partners who contribute directly to the PJ Library program.  Sifriyat Pijama in Israel is a program of Keren Grinspoon (the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in Israel) and is funded by that foundation. The ministry of education for the State of Israel is also a partner in Sifriyat Pijama as well as in the related program “Maktabot al Fanoos” that provides free books to Arabic speaking children in Israel. 

PJ Library also acknowledged that it was inspired by the Imagination Library shortly after Parton died, when the library posted a picture of Parton with Grinspoon on Instagram:

PJ Library and the Harold Grinspoon Foundation team are sad to learn of the passing of musician, philanthropist, and American legend Dolly Parton. Dolly’s Imagination Library helped inspire Harold Grinspoon to found PJ Library in 2005.⁠

⁠When Harold had the privilege of chatting with Dolly in 2023, she shared the following with him: “I am honored to get to help inspire a love of reading in children. They truly are our future.”⁠

⁠Parton’s 2023 interview with PJ Library is archived here. She expressed support for the library’s work, saying:

PARTON: Well, I’m always honored when my Imagination Library inspires others, like Harold Grinspoon and PJ Library. That is so very special to me — especially because the Imagination Library comes from a very personal place for me …

PJ LIBRARY: We love keeping up with the Imagination Library and its many accomplishments! In 2023, you celebrated the incredible milestone of gifting 200 million books to children. PJ Library is also celebrating: Last year we sent our 50 millionth book, and this year is our 18th birthday. What is most important to you about continuing to do this work?

PARTON: First of all, congratulations, PJ Library! I’m thrilled to celebrate milestones with you! Of course, I am very, very proud of how far we’ve come with the Imagination Library. We were thrilled to celebrate our 100 millionth book in 2018, and here we are just five years later celebrating 200 million books worldwide. Isn’t that amazing?

Separately, the Grinspoon Foundation sponsors some of the Imagination Library’s activities in Massachusetts. Gold told Snopes over email:

The Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation is still the sponsoring organization for Imagination Library in Springfield and West Springfield Massachusetts. Approximately 675 children in this region receive a monthly mailing to their home of a book at no charge as a gift from the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation as part of the Imagination Library program.

In sum, Parton expressed broad support for PJ Library’s work, but she did not specifically send books or funds to Israel through her Imagination Library. The Harold Grinspoon Foundation, which runs PJ Library, has separately sponsored branches of The Imagination Library in Massachusetts. 

Parton often shied away from discussing her political views in public. Snopes has covered numerous rumors and false claims about Parton. 

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