Blog Entries

Hot Reads for Cold Days: Local Romance Author Denise Williams

Denise Williams always loved stories with quirky humor and plenty of heart. Now, in addition to reading those books, she writes them too. Her novels, “How to Fail at Flirting” and “The Fastest Way to Fall” both featured prominently on a variety of lists including LibraryReads, Oprah Magazine, The Washington Post, Indie Next List, and Good Morning America.

Ames Public Library (APL) is thrilled to host Denise Williams on Monday, December 6 at 7 pm for a facilitated conversation about the romance genre, her novels, and how life is different now that she’s a pu... Read Full Blog

Wrapped Up in Christmas

by Anastasia Tuckness

Holiday picture books are a delightful part of the Christmas season, their illustrations inviting readers to imagine Christmases past and present. Our library has a great section of them, shelved all together in one place for easy browsing. But maybe this year you’d like to get truly wrapped up into a Christmas story you can read over several nights, a story that can transport you back in time or off to some other place. You need a juvenile fiction Christmas story! Read on to hear about several I’ve discovered this year as I wandered the stacks looking f... Read Full Blog

How Comics Changed My Life

The library has always been a staple of my life. As a child I remember every summer I would take home my summer reading program and a different book every week. At first I would make my way through the reading program by devouring the local library’s Hardy Boys collection. Then I slowly transitioned into Choose Your Own Adventure novels before setting in on the popular Alex Rider series. I loved reading these series as I could envision kids my own age going on adventures and solving mysteries or completing “James Bond-esque” missions, and I couldn’t get enough.

H... Read Full Blog

Medium Spooky

Well, here we are in October when recommendations for scary books are thicker on the ground than the leaves falling from the trees.  I’m loathe to lean in on horror, however.  Being terrified, even when it’s seasonally appropriate, isn’t my idea of a good time.  Reading scary books or watching scary movies is sometimes compared with riding a roller coaster: you get the experience of a frightening situation while actually remaining perfectly safe.  It must be some mental block, but I generally choose to take a pass on as much terror as I can, be it re... Read Full Blog

Understanding Social (In)Justice Through the Power of Place

According to Oxford Languages, social justice is “justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges within a society.” By extension, social injustice describes the opposite – a lack of justice regarding the way those privileges and resources are distributed. A solid understanding of both of these principles contributes to improved equity, diversity, and inclusion. But if you’re like me, just reading the definition isn’t enough. I always benefit from more specific examples and more in-depth conversation around complex social topics like thi... Read Full Blog

Learning to Play

Quite a few years ago, my husband and I brought home our first child.  He went back to work after a few days.  I stayed home with our daughter.  I held her, fed her, bathed her, rocked her, and repeated all of that until I couldn’t stand it anymore. 

My husband and I had planned for me to stay at home. I wanted to be home with her.  It wasn’t that I didn’t love her, and I certainly wanted the best for her.  I just didn’t know what to DO with her.  I had never been around babies, and though I had been assured that it would c... Read Full Blog

Saving the Best of Summer

I love all the seasons, but none is more bountiful to me than late summer. The colorful, soft, fruits and vegetables that begin to appear in quantities larger than anyone could eat beckon my canner and crocks. I begin dreaming of popping open a jar that holds a little bit of warmth and sunshine on the darkest January nights, munching on crunchy ferments in between meals, and bottling honey mead that I can share with those closest to me on special occasions. Many winters of my youth were lightened with beets swimming in their dark ruby brine, frozen kernels of field-... Read Full Blog

Strong and Sane and Ready to Fight

I set out to write this column about silliness and fun, about nudging adults to give into their inner child and embrace play and creativity. But then I paused. So many serious and dangerous things are happening: Afghanistan in crisis; the Haiti earthquake; more dire news about climate change; the surging coronavirus delta variant; ongoing issues of poverty and inequity. It’s impossible to ignore these things, and we shouldn’t ignore them. So how do we balance ourselves in the face of all the stresses in the world? How do we keep strong and sane and ready to fight ... Read Full Blog

Back to School

It’s almost fall!  Soon the world will become crisp in the mornings, the leaves will change color, and I will start to look longingly at my sweaters and cardigans.  And, of course, kids and adults start to head back to school.  Whether it’s a book or a DVD preparing you for the start of the school year, we can help you out at Ames Public Library.

Starting school can be a big change for young children, whether it’s preschool, kindergarten, or even a new daycare.  We have board books that can help introduce little ones to what is happe... Read Full Blog

Sidewalk Science – Exploring Science with a Hands-on Approach

Friday mornings are busy at the Ames Public Library. Patrons come in for browsing and borrowing material for the weekend, readers stop in to record their reading minutes and pick up prizes, and families gather in the library for Sidewalk Science – a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) program where we explore science and engineering concepts with a hands-on approach.        

STEM influences every part of our life from the food we eat, to the technology we interact with, to the transport systems we use... Read Full Blog

So Many Lokis

I had been waiting all year for June, ever since Disney announced the Loki miniseries would be available on demand. Wednesdays (or Loki Day as I started calling it) were the highlight of the week when I could sit down and finally watch the next episode.

My first introduction to the God of Mischief was in Marvel’s 2011 “Thor” movie as he tried to take over Asgard. I followed his adventures in the first “Avengers” movie where he schemed to rule Earth, then in “Thor: The Dark World” where he teamed with Thor to fight the Dark Elves, and in “Thor: R... Read Full Blog

What Will You Read Next?

With so many fantastic books in the world, and in the library, how do you narrow down your options? Some readers choose what to read based on their mood. Others go through phases where they only pick one type of book. (I once read nothing but cozy mysteries for 2 years.) Some move alphabetically through a list, grab a book with an eye-catching cover, binge series by series, or follow an order only they understand. What do all of these readers have in common? No matter what method you use, at some point you’ll finish your current book and need to decide on your next l... Read Full Blog

Oh the (In)Humanity

Books give readers the opportunity to look through the eyes of all sorts of people, and sometimes even take the point of view of characters that aren’t “people” at all.  Animal characters, for example, are a staple of children’s literature.  They make for cute illustrations, of course, but there’s often more to it than that.  John Jory and Erin Kraan’s picture book “Something’s Wrong” features a self-conscious bear named Jeff who walks out into the woods one morning with the conviction that something isn’t quite right.  The child you read it to will ... Read Full Blog

Armchair Adventures

There are a million good reasons to go on an armchair adventure. You probably already travel in your armchair a few or more times a week without even thinking about it! Maybe it’s armchair dining with your favorite food channel, space exploration with the latest issue of “National Geographic,” or revisiting your favorite trip with a photo album. All of these are great ways to explore from—and with—the comforts of home. However, if you're like me and have found yourself wanting to explore something new, be sure to stop by the Ames Public Library as there is plenty more to... Read Full Blog

To Hear the Story Told

I love to read books. I love having old favorites lined up on a shelf ready to open. I love the feel of the paper and the fun of using a special bookmark to mark my progress. I love being able to lend a favorite to a friend.

I also love e-books. I enjoy having a selection of items ready to read depending on my whim. I love the convenience of reading while eating with my phone propped up. I love being able to check out the next book in the series from the library at 11pm when I must know what happens next.

But, I have to say, there is something sp... Read Full Blog