Iowa’s First Lady is kicking off a campaign to boost literacy in Iowa. Christie Vilsack says seven Iowa towns will start the first phase of “Iowa Stories 2000.”Librarians in Algona, Ames, Bayard, Belle Plaine, Cherokee, Independence and Oskaloosa will come up with a list of local literacy projects — and let the public know what’s available. She says the second goals is to celebrate what is being done toward literacy and try to get rid of any overlaps.Vilsack, who grew up in Mount Pleasant, says her mother read to her every night of her childhood.Mrs. Vilsack also plans to raise money so every newborn or adopted baby in Iowa will be given a new book.
