Dora Erickson Elementary (Idaho Falls) - Bucks for Books

This Donation will buy a book for Dora Erickson Elementary in Idaho Falls. Their Librarian says "The collection of books in the library is one of the obstacles that the students face. The average age of the books in the library is 22 years old. There are more books from the 1970’s (322) than the 2020’s (307). There is almost an equal number of books from the 1990’s (3338) as the 2010’s (3670). One of the main problems with the age of the collection is the messages in the books. For example, the average age of books on mental health is 27 years old. While there are older books that will help our student’s face their every day lives, the messages they receive now are greatly different than the way things were faced 20-30 years ago. It is important for students to have access to information that reflects the life they live now. The non-fiction selection in the library is also in need of being updated. 96% of the non-fiction books are considered aged out on an educational standpoint. We need books that reflect current science and information.
Another obstacle the student’s face is that the library is overbalanced in favor of a k-3 audience. Older students have a much smaller selection and have a harder time finding something to read at their level. Often, students in the higher grades don’t want to check anything out.
Money from the grant would help by allowing the librarian to curate a better selection to keep students engaged. The selection of books could also help to get material complimentary to the curriculum. It would also allow for more of a selection to be gathered for the social and emotional learning of the students."

In 2019, the Idaho Lottery learned 28 percent of Idaho elementary schools had a library budget of less than $100 per year for book procurement. In reality, it would take nearly $8,000 every year per school to maintain the library collection students need to succeed. With that in mind, the Idaho Lottery worked with the Idaho Commission for Libraries to start Bucks For Books. Literacy has been a focus of Idaho Governor Brad Little since he took office in 2019. Getting all Idaho students reading at grade level by the third grade is imperative as that is the point where students transition from learning-to-read to reading-to-learn. Having a well-stocked library and the ability for all students to take books home is crucial in getting all Idaho students where they need to be.