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ARPA-funded early literacy coordinator led to big gains; position now vacant, staff to continue key programs
Summary
Trustees heard a final report on the ARPA-funded early literacy coordinator position, which the library used from October 2021 through a three-year period to expand the Thousand Books Before Kindergarten program. Enrollment and reading totals rose substantially; the coordinator post is now vacant and staff plan to continue priority activities.
The Davenport City Library reported Jan. 21 that ARPA funds used to hire an early literacy coordinator in October 2021 helped expand early-literacy outreach and the Thousand Books Before Kindergarten program, but the coordinator position is now vacant and staff are adapting to continue core services.
Staff reported that nearly 2,000 children are now enrolled in the Thousand Books Before Kindergarten program, a participation increase of more than 300% from the program’s size at the time the coordinator was hired. Participants have together read more than 300,000 books, staff said, and library youth services and outreach partners helped recruit families through community connections including Genesis, Scott County NES and United Way.
The report described a range of partnership and incentive activities, including graduation ceremonies for children who complete the program. Staff included patron feedback excerpts in the packet to illustrate impact in addition to the numeric gains.
Trustees asked whether elements of the coordinator’s work could be measured against school outcomes; staff said the library has previously shared anonymized summer-reading completion data with school districts and could explore similar data-sharing methods with appropriate privacy safeguards.
Staff told trustees that, with the coordinator role vacant, the library will fold high-impact activities into existing youth services and outreach work and continue partnering with community agencies to sustain the gains made during the ARPA-funded period. Trustees and staff discussed but did not approve any new permanent hires at the meeting.
