Learning the love of reading at a young age is now easier than ever in Kingfisher County.

Laura Sikes addressed the Kingfisher Community Collaborative about the Imagination Library on June 12 during the local group’s meeting.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is dedicated to helping inspire a love of reading by gifting free books to children from birth to age 5, Sikes told the group.

Sikes is the director of the program’s curriculum and instruction with the Oklahoma Department of Education.

Kingfisher County recently became a part of the program and a kickoff and sign-up event was held May 13 at Kingfisher Memorial Library.

Since then, some 25% of the 1,104 eligible children in Kingfisher County have signed up for the program.

The goal is to sign up as many as possible, Sikes said.

Funding for the project is shared by The Dollywood Foundation, OSDE and local program partners.

The Dollywood Foundation charges $2.20 per child per month in the program.

OSDE covers $1.10 of that cost.

That leaves the other half to be funded locally.

Those who have contributed financially to help cover those costs include Friends of the Library groups in both Kingfisher and Hennessey as well as the Kingfisher Lions Club, Kingfisher Rotary Club, Hennessey Lions Club, Hennessey Coronado Masonic Lodge and Frontline Ministries.

Donations to help fund the program are still being accepted. For more information on signing up or donating, contact the Kingfi sher Memorial Library.