Blog Entries

Spooky Stories at the Library

by Jill Philby

With Halloween just around the corner, Ames Public Library lends more spooky stories than usual.  Older children and teens love a good scare and will read books like Aaron Reynolds’ “Creepy Tales!” series, “The Jumbies” by Tracey Baptiste, or Katherine Arden’s “Small Spaces” series at any time of year. But books like Alvin Schwartz’ “Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark” are especially popular the closer we get to Halloween. 

Kids and teens love books that are scary, and the thrill in feeling the goosebumps on your arms or the shiver down your spine c... Read Full Blog

A Sense of the Season

by Seth Warburton

Autumn, that greatest of all Iowa seasons, is finally upon us.  Winter and summer overbearing.  Spring’s dramatic thunderstorms and new blooms are over-celebrated by excitable poet-types.  Autumn arrives like a Midwesterner at a party, softly sidling in, refusing to interrupt, and only revealing its presence in a quiet moment with a chill in the air, a combine in the fields, or a red leaf on a maple.  Fall may not be desperate to be noticed, but is worth engaging your senses with it all the same.

I first felt autumn this year with my foot -... Read Full Blog

Damaged Book? Leave the repair to us!

Rips, spills, and unglued spines happen. Luckily, we have an expert mender on staff with all the tools to give our items another chance at life.

If you find any damage on a Library item, please don't attempt to fix it yourself! Take it to a Library staff member so our specialist can mend it and get it back in circulation. 

... Read Full Blog

Ames Pridefest returns to Downtown and the Ames Public Library

By Ben Schrag

It’s always wonderful to see downtown Ames come to life with any of our large community celebrations! Farmers’ markets, art festivals, and outdoor live performances are all part of what makes downtown special. Did you see those pictures from RAGBRAI? Downtown is a wonderful place for our community to gather together. These large events are an economic boon and a feather in our community’s collective cap.

Of all the reasons to gather downtown, I’m particularly excited for Pridefest. Part of being in community with each other means supporting and caring for everyone... Read Full Blog

Try 12 To Try: APL’s Newest Reading Challenge!

By Cathy Cooney

I love browsing and scooping up a few new favorites in my go-to genres: romance, mystery, historical fiction, fantasy. I think everyone gravitates toward books we already know we’ll enjoy. But the library contains many different and amazing choices! This year, join the 12 To Try Reading Challenge for Adults to push the boundaries of your literary comfort zone.

Unlike our winter and summer reading programs, this challenge features 12 unique prompts to focus your year of reading. September’s challenge is to read fiction featuring LGBTQIA+ characters. You could cho... Read Full Blog

New International Student and Family Meetup

By Chelsie Gohlmann

We are very fortunate to have such a diverse population in Ames! The university and various employers draw in international individuals and their families to relocate to our city – even if it’s just for a short while. It can feel overwhelming leaving your home country and even isolating when you move to a new place with little support or friends. I feel very strongly about uplifting the international residents in our community and giving them a welcoming space to meet with others adjusting to life away from their home countries. The library will be hosting a new progr... Read Full Blog

Back to School Reading

by Tracy Briseño

It’s back to school time; For my family, that means less free reading time, more early mornings and after school activities, and busy days. This could lead to us borrowing fewer books and reading less.

Instead what tends to happen is that our reading shifts. The high schooler reads more on Libby and turns to well-loved graphic novels for fun, quick reads. The fifth grader usually find topics from school or elsewhere that spark her curiosity. (Right now it’s biographies, but last year it was gross bugs.) The first grader gets hooked on a subject or type of book ... Read Full Blog

Speed Friending

by Clelia Sweeney

It can be hard to make friends as an adult. Whether you are a recent graduate making your way in the world for the first time, someone who just moved to town, or just looking for new people to add to your circle, speed friending could be for you. It is a socializing, mingling event with a speed-dating-like set up but no dating or romance involved. If you are looking to meet new people and make friends, it is a great place to start.

If this sounds intriguing, come join us for a round of speed friend-matching and casual socializing at the Ames Public Library! We... Read Full Blog

20 Minutes Makes a Difference

by Brianne Anderson

 

Way back in the 1982, Jim Trelease published the book, “The Read-Aloud Handbook.” Over the years, the book has gone through eight updates (the latest coming in 2019) and has sold millions of copies. In the world of books and publishing, 41 years is an incredible time for a book to stay in print, especially when the book addresses child-rearing topics which we know experts often debate.

This book has longevity because Jim Trelease captured in print one thing almost everyone can agree on: reading aloud to children is important. But not on... Read Full Blog

National Relaxation Day

by Ellen Wanamaker

Today marks a somewhat obscure holiday: NATIONAL RELAXATION DAY, celebrated each year on August 15th. It’s an appropriate time to focus on relaxation, since next week launches the school year, a time of transition, busy schedules, and a frantic pace of life. To celebrate, here are suggestions for TEN WAYS you can relax here at Ames Public Library.

LISTEN to some relaxing music by checking out our extensive CD collection, or downloading music via the free Hoopla app. Our CD genres include jazz, folk, blues, world, bluegrass, and more. PLAY chess with a ... Read Full Blog

Tools for School

Did you know...
Ames Community School District students get a FREE Ames Public Library account through their school!

Use your account all year long for access to books, Wi-Fi hotspots, online tools, STEM Kits, and much more!

Get ready for school with these great online tools for free using your Ames Public Library card:

Brainfuse: Live online tutoring, Writing lab, Test preparation, Language lab Britannica Library: Age-appropriate articles, videos, and biographies for children and teens BookFlix: Read-aloud stories, nonfictio... Read Full Blog

High Seas Trending

by Ethan Atwell

As the teen librarian at Ames Public Library, I have the privilege to review and order books for the young adult section. In doing this I notice trends in the stories being shared and published. Some trends are almost always present, like a high school setting, the chosen one, or enemies to lovers. Other trends are more subtle.

One of the more subtle trends recently is the uptick in books featuring mermaids, pirates, or adventures in the high sea. It’s hard to know why this is a trend. It could be popular shows about pirates, a recently remade mermaid class... Read Full Blog

Dressing the (Literary) Part

by Anessa Olson

Every year, the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation hosts Pub Fiction, the most literary pub crawl in Ames! Participants visit participating locations downtown, each with its own theme and exclusive drink special. Pub Fiction is on Thursday, August 10, with check-in between 5:30 and 6:30 at the Ames Public Library, and tickets can be purchased at the Library or online at bit.ly/PubFiction2023. All participants must be 21 or older.

All of the money raised by Pub Fiction goes to support the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation. The Friends support the li... Read Full Blog

Summer Is for Grownups Too

by Megan Klein-Hewett

Summer is an exciting time at Ames Public Library, filled with fun and exciting programs for all ages. In adult services, we focus on bringing engaging and educational programming to our adult community members. This summer we’ve been lucky to host a number of talented guests, with more still to come!

First up, join Ames Public Library, Ames Pride, and Dog-Eared Books in welcoming author, poet and essayist, Diana Goetsch. Diana’s 2022 memoir, “This Body I Wore,” explores the author’s journey through gender transition as an adult, and the growth of the... Read Full Blog

RAGBRAI at 50

by Anastasia Tuckness

Next week, thousands of bicycles will roll through Ames as part of the historic 50th RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa—“Register” meaning the newspaper The Des Moines Register). RAGBRAI had a humble beginning—two Register reporters wanted to try biking across the state and thought it would be great if the Register picked up the tab! Now it is internationally renowned as the best weeklong bicycle tour (except perhaps the Tour de France). Iowa is uniquely suited for distance biking due to its extensive network of secondary paved roads that... Read Full Blog