Elizabeth Huber Shares About Read Across Clinton County Event
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- 2 min read
"It's really an opportunity to open the doors to these local businesses and get [people] in there... It brings traffic into these businesses, " stated Elizabeth Huber, Co-founder of the Clinton County Literacy Foundation (CCLF) and organizer of the Read Across Clinton County event.
According to Huber, the CCLF began with four libraries in local laundromats, and was called the "Laundromat Libraries." Their goal was to give children an opportunity to do something while "sitting idle" at the laundromats. The group received feedback that books for middle grades children were needed as well. The CCLF has continued to grow since then, managing roughly 30 bookshelves across Clinton County. In addition to the bookshelves, the CCLF provides books to teachers, local events, farmers markets, and more.
The Read Across Clinton County event was inspired by Read Across America, a celebration of Dr. Seuss's birthday. The event runs from March 3rd through March 17th, and participants can pick up a passport or print one online. The passports feature local businesses and organizations individuals can visit throughout the county to pick out free books. Last year, the event featured over 40 locations. At each stop, participants receive a sticker on their passport, then for every eight stickers, they get one entry into a raffle. Participants have until March 20, 2026 to submit their passports to ccliteracyfoundation@gm- ail.com. The drawing for the prizes occurs on March 31.
According to Huber, they normally raffle six to eight prizes, with the grand prize being a Kindle. She encouraged participation from all ages, as the prizes range from "infants up to homeowner adults."
Huber shared that the CCLF works daily on earning local donations, and are completely funded by local donations. She mentioned that participants in the event can also donate books at the stops, as the event is centered around "books that have been loved before." She continued on to state, "The support has been more than what we ever expected."
Huber shared the story of a local teacher who requested books from the CCLF and was able to fund hygiene items for students that did not have access at home.
To learn more about Read Across Clinton County, visit ccliteracyfoundation.org.