A History of the Bookmobile – Sort Of
By Tracy BriseñoThe Ames Public Library Bookmobile has been serving the Ames community for the last 59 years. I cannot speak to the entire history of the Bookmobile personally. However, I thought it would be fun to share my history with the Bookmobile over the last 33 years, since I moved to Ames with my family at the age of 9.
I have loved reading my whole life, and when we moved here from North Carolina I asked my mom to check out the local library and report back. We did visit the library, but a lot of my regular checkouts and conversations were on the Bookmobile with Fred,... Read Full Blog
Back to School
by Danielle ZieglerWe can feel it in the air at Ames Public Library’s youth department. School is starting soon. You can buy all the school supplies and figure out what teacher the kids will have, but how can you feel really ready? Why not try reading some books about school?
Young readers can be really worried, especially if they are going to start school for the very first time. One of my favorite books about starting school is “Mr. S” by Monica Arnaldo. It will have you and your child giggling up a storm! Another sweet picture book that deals with feelings is “First Da... Read Full Blog
Adventure Awaits!
By Amanda MolumbyPerhaps you already know Ames well, along with all the treasures it has to offer, but if you are newer to the area like me, you may find the Ames Public Library an ideal first stop for all things social, educational and recreational. From learning about and participating in wonderful celebrations like Juneteenth to storytimes to making and learning how to care for your own strawberry hanging basket, the library has a plethora of events, workshops, and resources available.
Not only can you check out books, DVDs, video games and more, but you can also visit some... Read Full Blog
Visit a Park, Visit the Library
by Anastasia TucknessAmes is a city of parks. The convergence of Ioway Creek and the South Skunk River in South Ames results in many square feet of floodplain, not always great for commercial development but excellent green space for parks! Ames boasts 38 parks covering over 1220 acres that have been developed over many years. Brookside Park celebrates its 100th anniversary next year! And new parks and green spaces spring up often—we recently discovered the new shared use path along Ioway Creek/South 5th Street from South Grand Avenue extending to half a mile east of South Duff Ave... Read Full Blog
Audiobook Revolution
by Megan Klein-HewettHave you started using downloadable or streaming books and audiobooks in the last five years? If so, you are not alone! Whether you love the ease of access that digital books provide, or you’re a road warrior who’s always on the hunt for their next audiobook, the library’s Libby and Hoopla apps are great options for free access to digital books and audiobooks.
There has been significant growth in use of digital books and audiobooks over the last five years, in part due to the critical access that these services provided during the pandemic. Suddenly, ... Read Full Blog
In Taxing Times
by Max GuldenThe dreaded time has again: tax season. Fortunately, Ames Public Library offers access to a variety of tax-related resources to help make tax season just a little bit easier.
This year, Ames Public Library is hosting Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) tax preparation appointments in partnership with Iowa State University and the United Way of Story County. These appointments are being held at the library and are facilitated by certified volunteers, many of whom have offered tax preparation services at the library in previous years.
To schedule a... Read Full Blog
Holiday Gift Ideas from Ames Public Library
by Ellen WanamakerShopping for holiday gifts at the library seems counter-intuitive, since, well… libraries let you borrow things for free! While you can check out armfuls of books, movies, music, magazines, games, puzzles and puppets for free, there are ways to do holiday shopping at Ames Public Library as well.
Literary Grounds is Ames Public Library’s bookstore, located on the first floor. You can shop for gently-used books, puzzles, and more. Most items cost between $1 and $5, and all proceeds benefit the APL Friends Foundation, which serves to enhance APL’s services,... Read Full Blog
Introducing the IDEA Center
by Anessa Olson
The IDEA Center is the Ames Public Library’s new digital conversion and editing lab. The purpose of the space is to provide free access to the equipment and software needed to preserve your family’s history by transferring treasured memories from vulnerable analog formats into digital files that can more easily be shared and saved. The IDEA Center has three stations, one each for video and audio conversion, scanning, and editing.
The video conversion station will be able to convert VHS, S-VHS, and VHS-C tapes into digital video files that can be burn... 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
Back to School Reading
by Tracy BriseñoIt’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
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:
‘Tis the Season!
by Max GuldenThere 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.
Adventure Pass
by Tracy Briseño
Have you ever visited Blank Park Zoo in the winter? Gone to Reiman Gardens to sit with the butterflies when it is twenty degrees outside? When the cold and snow feel endless and you are trying to figure out what to do, I recommend checking out the library’s Adventure Pass Program. Using your library card, you are able to reserve a time to visit one of six locations. You can reserve a pass to each location once every 365 days.
You can visit Reiman Gardens and explore plants outdoors and inside the indoor conservatory. There’s also a tropica... Read Full Blog
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, TumbleBookLibrary, 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.
How do yo... Read Full Blog
Libraries in Cahoots
by Anessa OlsonThe Ames Public Library has almost 400,000 items in a variety of formats. That’s a lot. But no library can contain everything, so odds are good that sometime in your life you’ll want something that we don’t have. Fortunately, we aren’t limited to our own resources. Libraries all across the country work together, lending and borrowing materials from each other on behalf of their patrons in a process called inter-library loan, or ILL.
For you, the ILL process is very simple. Just fill out our request form, available on our websit... Read Full Blog