Dyersville Campaign for Grade-Level Reading Collecting Books

For the third year in a row, the Dyersville Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is collecting gently used books at local financial institutions.

Throughout March, financial institutions in the Dyersville area will be accepting new or gently used children’s books – those locations include Citizens State Bank, Community Savings Bank, Dupaco Community Credit Union, DuTrac Community Credit Union, Fidelity Bank & Trust, and MidWestOne Bank. 

These books will be used throughout the year at local events, pop-up libraries, family literacy nights, and for families to build their home library through programs such as the rural food pantry.

Statistics show that 64% of low-income families do not have any books in the home. This month-long effort is to support initiatives to combat the summer slide, which is the tendency for students, especially those from low-income families, to lose some of the achievement gains they made during the previous school year. 

Last year, over 1,000 books were donated and given out throughout the year to youth in the Dyersville community.

The Campaign is also searching for people who are interested in serving as an advisory committee, meeting quarterly and offering insights and ideas on closing the learning gap. Through a grant from the ELN Network, parents and caregivers can receive a stipend for their time serving. For more information or to sign up, visit dbqfoundation.org/giving-center/dyersville-grade-level-reading-campaign.