The municipal public library is the James Kennedy Public Library. In 1956 the city council proposed a standalone library to replace the collection at city hall, and on September 11, 1959 the dedication occurred. In 1970 a children's library area was placed in a former fire station. The current library, named after the man who donated money to have it built, had its groundbreaking on April 1, 2001. The naming ceremony was held the previous March 1. Dyersville is a thriving farming city with a long history. It is nicknamed "The Farm Toy Capital of the World" because it hosts a farm toy show the first weekend in June and the National Farm Toy Show the first weekend in November. It is also the longtime home of the Ertl Company, a maker of die-cast farm toys. Multiple local businesses are based on this part of its economy. The ten largest employers (by number of employees) in descending order, as of 2016.