An Iowa Western Community College professor and literacy advocate has donated hundreds of books to a county jail.

Nicole Juranek is a communications professor at the community college in Council Bluffs. On Wednesday, she hauled 800 paperback books to the Pottawattamie County Jail to give inmates there something to read.

The Daily Nonpareil reports that it was Juranek's third annual donation to the jail. But this one more than doubled the 300 she donated in her first two years.

Juranek made this year's donation on the heels of her 40th birthday.

In lieu of a party, she asked friends and family to give paperback books to be donated.

Juranek previously taught reading workshops at Nebraska prison in Omaha, but had to give it up when her children were born.