Blog Entries

Summer is Coming

Join Ames Public Library for free special activities and a reading challenge for all ages this summer!

Everyone from babies to adults can earn prizes just for tracking their reading in the Summer Reading Challenge. Pick up a game board or sign up online starting June 1.

Once again this summer, children and teens can eat a nutritious free lunch at Ames Public Library. Lunch is available weekdays form Monday, June 5, through Friday, August 18 (except July 4).

Check the Library's calendar for free events including: Book clubs, meetups, and presentations for a... Read Full Blog

Playful Families…Step Into Storybooks!

by Brianne Anderson

I cannot tell you how many times my children have run upstairs and asked me to zip/snap/buckle them into some kind of dress-up outfit. They describe to me amazing stories about the adventures the three of them are taking, all while never leaving the basement. Children’s imaginations are incredible and seeing how the kids cooperate (and many times NOT cooperate) together is not only amazing to see, but it actually builds their cognitive and social development.

Creative play time is so important because it gives kids the chance to direct their own time an... Read Full Blog

Repair Café at Ames Public Library

by Ellen Wanamaker

Do you have a bicycle lingering in your garage with a flat tire or a dangling chain? A piece of jewelry missing a clasp? A jacket that needs mending? Perhaps your espresso maker is making weird noises? Possibly you’ve got a rototiller that isn’t tilling? A beloved old laptop with a stuck DVD drive? You get the picture. Many of us have things at home that need repair, and this weekend you can drop in to a free Repair Café at the library to get help from local volunteers.

The Repair Café will be held at Ames Public Library on Saturday, April 22nd from 10 a... Read Full Blog

Autism Awareness Month Books

by Ethan Atwell

April is Autism Awareness Month. The annual celebration is not only meant to bring awareness to autism, but also the opportunity to create unity and collaboration by highlighting stories of autistic individuals. I’ve created a list of youth books to read featuring autistic individuals below.

Picture Books:

“My Brother Charlie” by Holly Robinson Peete. Callie is very proud of her brother Charlie. He's good at so many things, but sometimes he is quiet and seems far away. “The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin” by Julia ... Read Full Blog

First Amendment Days

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” These 45 words establish five freedoms essential to American democracy and culture.  It is too easy to take these freedoms for granted, and so the Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and the Ames Public Library are hosting the First Amendment Days in April to recognize and appreciat... Read Full Blog

Battles at the Ames Public Library

by Danielle Ziegler

Over the years, you may have noticed a yearly program at our library called the Battle of the Books.  This is one of my absolute favorite programs! In short, 5th and 6th graders compete in trivia battles about books they have read.  However, there is a lot more to these book battles.

Each year, library youth staff get together to decide what books should be featured on the upcoming year’s battles.  These are fun meetings with lots of discussions, as we all keep track throughout the year of books that we think would be great for battle.  I... Read Full Blog

Author Fair

by Megan Klein-Hewett

Ames is fortunate be home to a robust community of writers, and author support is one of the many goals of Ames Public Library. One new way the Library is supporting our writing community is through our inaugural Author Fair.

Join fellow writers and book lovers on March 25th for a free afternoon celebrating the craft of writing. Learn from writing professionals and meet local authors in an afternoon celebrating the craft of writing. All Author Fair events are drop in, so feel free to explore any or all of the afternoon’s events.

Starting at ... Read Full Blog

Trowel and Error

By Alissa Dornink

There are twelve days before the start of spring as I’m writing this, and I’m watching it snow as we’re under another yet another winter weather advisory. The last weekend of milder weather had gotten my hopes up that we had moved on from the snowiest parts of winter, even though I’ve lived through enough seasons to know better. I had even gotten out in my back yard and made progress cleaning up some of the rogue sticks and leaves and filled in some of the holes the dog has dug. I kept staring at my garden while doing that, making and revising plans for when it gets war... Read Full Blog

Quick Kids’ Reads

Spring break will find me winging my way across the country to visit my sister and her kids! Since I only have a few days with them, I’ve been gathering books that are high-interest, yet short enough that we can actually finish them. I learned my lesson on a previous family visit where we had to beg my sister-in-law to let the kids stay up late to finish a book, and another visit where my niece and I barricaded ourselves into a tiny guest room for most of a day to finish another one. You really can’t just leave a giant chicken wandering through the streets, or leave a broccoli-colored boy i... Read Full Blog

A Serpent at the Opera

by Jill Philby

Birds sing.  Whales sing. Cicadas, mice, and katydids sing.  But did you know that serpents sing?  The one and only Sid the Serpent will be singing here at Ames Public Library in OPERA Iowa and Des Moines Metro Opera’s family-friendly production of “Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing” on Saturday, March 4, at 2:00pm in the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium. 

Wait.  Opera?  Family-friendly?  Sure!  After all, what is opera but good story-telling, music, theater, art and dance all rolled into one.  And a good opera does what a... Read Full Blog

Library Staff Day

by Sheila Schofer

As spaces full of books, technology, programs, and helpful, knowledgeable staff, people readily recognize libraries as places of learning for the public. Ames Public Library certainly embraces this concept through our mission We Connect You to the World of Ideas. We see ourselves as a learning organization for our community and our employees.

Staff development is a specific focus area identified in the library’s strategic plan. Library staff are involved in continuous learning in a variety of ways, through conferences, community training and online webina... Read Full Blog

‘Tis the Season!

by Max Gulden

There are a few things that just seem inevitable this time each year. People in top hats taking heed of the meteorological expertise of a shadowy subterranean mammal. The glimmer of warmer weather foretelling the approach of spring. A frigid blast of arctic chill to remind us it’s still only February. And then, of course, everyone’s favorite yearly tradition: tax season. For those who truly dread this particular tradition, fortunately, the Ames Public Library offers access to a variety of tax-related resources to help make tax season just a little bit easier.

Read Full Blog

Black Future Month

by Seth Warburton

“How Long ‘Til Black Future Month?” asks author N. K. Jemisin with the title of her 2018 short story collection, though it may seem an odd question to pose here at the beginning of Black History Month.  But as Jemisin notes in her introduction, the stories of humankind’s many possible futures are too often written by those with the power in the past.  A science fiction story without black people implies that history’s racism will continue into the future.  During Black History Month, then, it’s entirely appropriate to envision a future that not only inclu... Read Full Blog

Home Voices at the Ames Public Library

by Ben Schrag

I work at a Public Library, but my background is in the creative arts; a little playwriting, a lot of songwriting. One of my regular duties is the Toddler Storytime, where these skills can come in very handy. 

When I started doing Toddler storytime, for example, I had a small conundrum. Storytimes usually start with a little welcoming rhyme to help set the tone. But when I started planning and preparing for my Toddler storytimes, I couldn’t find a rhyme that said quite what I wanted to say. They were either not quite the right message or not quite the fe... Read Full Blog

Get on Boards (or Commissions)!

by Cathy Cooney

Conservation. Historic Preservation. Planning and Zoning. Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team. Campus and Community. Library. Public Art. Human Relations. Veteran Affairs. These are just some examples of the boards and commissions who advise city and county government on issues, services, and programs. With over 30 boards and commissions between Ames and Story County, everyone can find a good fit for their interests. Serving in this way connects people more deeply to their communities, plays a valuable part in advising governing bodies and recommending policy... Read Full Blog