Dolly Parton left behind hundreds of songs, unforgettable performances and a career that changed country music forever.

But one of the things closest to her heart had nothing to do with standing on a stage.

It was Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library—the children’s literacy program she founded in 1995 after being inspired by her father, Robert Lee Parton, who never learned to read or write.

What began as a small program for children in her home county in East Tennessee eventually became an international mission, delivering free books to young children around the world.

And now Dolly’s team has made something clear:

Her work isn’t ending with her.

Following Dolly’s passing, the Imagination Library team said the organization had been built with Dolly over decades to create something capable of lasting for generations.

And they intend to carry that mission forward.

That would have meant a great deal to Dolly.

She often spoke about how proud her father became of the program. In fact, Dolly recalled that her dad told her the Imagination Library was probably the most important thing she had ever done.

For a woman who achieved almost everything imaginable in entertainment, those words stayed with her.

The program has since distributed hundreds of millions of books and reaches millions of children and families around the world.

Dolly’s family has now given fans another indication of just how important that legacy was to her.

Instead of sending flowers in her memory, they have asked people who want to honor Dolly to consider donating to the Imagination Library.

For Dolly, it was never simply about giving away books.

It was about giving children the opportunity to dream bigger than the circumstances they were born into—the same way a little girl growing up in the Smoky Mountains once dreamed of a life far beyond what she could see.

Dolly may no longer be here to place another book into a child’s hands.

But the promise behind her Imagination Library will continue.

And perhaps that’s exactly the kind of legacy she wanted to leave behind.