Blog Entries

Tools for School

Get homework help with the Library's free online resources, check out a Wi-Fi hotspot for Internet access, and use our space for quiet study time! 

Your Library card gets you free access to premium online resource, like Brainfuse Homework Help, Britannica Library, and many more to help students reach their educational goals. Best of all, they're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week!

You the library also lends many helpful resources, from books to Wi-Fi hotspots to STEM learning kits. All you need is a Library card.

Library staff are happy to help you find... Read Full Blog

International Friendship Fair Brings Cultures Together in Ames

Since 1992, the YWCA Ames-ISU has partnered with the Ames community to host the International Friendship Fair (IFF), a celebration of global cultures and community spirit. This year, the tradition continues on Saturday, March 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Ames Public Library.

The IFF offers a welcoming space where community members of all ages can experience the richness and diversity of cultures from around the world. Visitors will explore interactive exhibits, cultural displays, and engaging activities. From hands-on crafts and multicultural games, to m... Read Full Blog

The Baby Fair is Back!

Getting ready for a baby is a big job. Babies need plenty of diapers, bottles, and clothing, but there are always things—and services—that parents and families may not realize are available. A breastfeeding parent may know that a breast pump would be a wonderful thing to have, but not know where to find one. They might also not realize that lactation specialists are available for breastfeeding issues. Maybe an expectant parent is weighing the pros and cons of a hospital vs. home birth or are considering having an additional professional attend their delivery but need to f... Read Full Blog

Romantasy

The last few years have seen the remarkable rise of a new genre.  Romantasy, of course, is the cross of the fantasy (or even sci-fi) genre with the culture of the Roman Empire.  As all men know, there is a singular manly appeal to Roman times: loose fitting clothing, playing with swords, greeting other dudes with “hail” as we pass on the street, orgies.  Here are a few Romantasy titles for you to try.

The Hierarchy, the Roman analog in James Islington’s “The Will of the Many,” has been devouring its neighbors for generations.  Vis, orphaned in one ... Read Full Blog

Get Growing with the Ames Seed Library

You can check out a lot of surprising things at the Ames Public Library, but did you know you can borrow seeds to grow your own garden? The Ames Seed Library is a community resource that offers free vegetable, flower, fruit and herb seeds in order to empower people to grow their own food and build relationships through gardening. 

This joint project between Ames Public Library, Iowa State Extension and Outreach Story County, Mustard Seed Community Farm, and Seeds of Sustainability, provides a resource for the Ames community to access a wide variety of seeds t... Read Full Blog

All Things Outdoors at the Ames Public Library

As February comes to an end, Spring feels tantalizingly close. Whether you are a fan of the outdoors, are conservation-minded, or just love a good road trip, this week the Ames Public Library has several events for you!

Come to the library Wednesday night at 7pm for Adventures Along the Lincoln Highway, presented in partnership with the Ames Historical Society. Iowa journalist and historian Darcy Maulsby will talk about an amazing slice of Iowa history. Travelers on interstates (or any paved road) owe a debt of gratitude to the visionaries who promoted the Lincoln Highway... Read Full Blog

Tailoring my 12

If someday, in the distant future, my tombstone should read, death by TBR (To Be Read) pile, I would smile from the great beyond. I’m in no rush for that to become a permanent fixture but I would consider it a life well lived. So many books, so little time. 

Since I read so voraciously it was getting overwhelming deciding what to read next. Then I found the Ames Public Library 12 to Try Challenge. The year-round adult reading program aims to open up new reading possibilities. Each month an open-ended prompt has given me some guidance and the perfect reason to hit so... Read Full Blog

Books for Babies

Did you know that almost 1,200 babies are born at Mary Greeley Medical Center (MGMC) every year? That seems like a strange statistic to read in a library’s news column, but every one of those babies left MGMC with a connection to Ames Public Library (APL).

There’s almost an unlimited number of services the public library provides beyond the materials on our shelves, but one of my favorite programs APL sponsors is one that has thrived since its creation in 1998. The Books for Babies program doesn’t get a lot of hype and runs mostly silently in the background, but is ... Read Full Blog

Behind the Scenes in a Library Under Construction

If you have visited the library in the past few weeks, you know the changes we have been going through. Over half of our building has been inaccessible as we tear up the decade-old carpet and replace it. You may have heard banging construction sounds or smelled carpet glue while you were picking up your holds. You may have glimpsed heavy metal devices on wheels, equipped with jacks to lift up long ranges of shelves loaded with books and wheel them across the floor. 

As the project wraps up, we are all excited to see the building’s facelift. Staff are also excited... Read Full Blog

National Plan for Vacation Day

If you earn vacation days at your job, think back to how many vacation days you took in 2024. Any chance you left some of those unused? If so, let 2025 be the year that you use every single bit of your earned vacation.

Americans leave about 600 million collective vacation hours unused each year. It’s time to chip away at that number, so today we celebrate National Plan for Vacation Day. At Ames Public Library we offer books, magazines and DVDs that might inspire your next vacation. Even if you’re planning a stay-cation, you can stock up on everything you need to chil... Read Full Blog

The Wonder of Wonderbooks

If you are looking to stay inside, cozy up with a good book, and want to get the whole family involved, check out our Wonderbooks and VOX Books!  Wonderbooks and Vox Books provide a great opportunity for everyone of any age to be able to engage with reading. 

If you have never seen or checked out one of these books, they are printed books that come with a charged audio player inside the front cover that allows you to have the book read aloud as you flip through the pages. It is a physical book and an audiobook all in one! These books can be especially useful f... Read Full Blog

Start the Semester Right

It’s a new semester, with the chance to start on the right foot! Ames Public Library is here to support students, parents, and teachers with a wide variety of resources.

If homework is hard at home because you don’t have internet, you can request a Wi-Fi hotspot to check out from the Library. We have a limited number available, so there will usually be wait. Try to get on the list early!

If you have internet access, Ames Public Library has some fantastic online resources available 24/7. They have the types of tools and articles you’d usually have to pay for, but ... Read Full Blog

Digital Media Grows in Popularity

The turning of the year is an invitation to consider continuity and change. What’s trending? What’s over? What’s next? At the Ames Public Library, we’re thinking not just about the latest titles going viral on social media, but also about which formats you are reading them in. 

In 2024, Ames residents borrowed 133,625 e-books and e-audiobooks from the library’s two digital media apps, Libby and Hoopla, a 14% increase over 2023. The Ames Public Library (APL) is able to provide access to these apps thanks to your funding as taxpayers, your generosity as donors, and t... Read Full Blog

All the things you can do from home

During winter I would prefer to snuggle up under a blanket at home and leave as few times as possible until it is spring. If you are like me and would like to therefore see what the library has to offer to your wintering self, let’s hop onto the Library’s website and apps and explore. 

You can stream and download a wide variety of titles in e-book and e-audiobook as well as a selection of magazines, movies, tv shows, music, comics and more through the library’s apps Libby, Hoopla, Kanopy, and Comics Plus. When you login to Libby, scroll down to recommendations rel... Read Full Blog

Winter Reading Challenge

To the average Iowan, winter brings with it a few challenges. Snow, ice, impressive windchills…the list goes on. Would you like a challenge to actually look forward to this winter? Look no further than the Ames Public Library! 

This winter we have a fun winter reading challenge going on. Hunker down under a blanket at home, find a cozy chair at the library, or even over a lunch break—wherever or whenever you find yourself with a free moment, pull out a good book, ebook, or eaudiobook and spend some time reading to earn pretty neat prizes! 

All ag... Read Full Blog