Blog Entries

Bringing Authors to You

In 2025, Ames Public Library (APL) was designated as the Iowa Center for the Book. This Library of Congress program works to promote literature and the literary heritage of each state and U.S. territory. Through the Center for the Book, APL staff help select books each year that represent the literary heritage of Iowa for a program called Great Reads from Great Places. 

APL staff will be at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. representing the Iowa Center for the Book and sharing information about Iowa’s 2025 Great Reads from Great Places selections.... Read Full Blog

Deep Roots Book Group

Summer is winding down, kids are back to school and fall is right around the corner. Here in Iowa, we have the great pleasure of experiencing the changing of the seasons. There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good hike around a wooded area, tucked away from civilization, or a crisp fall walk in a light jacket, admiring the leaves as they give one last hurrah in blazing colors before they fall to the earth to coat the sidewalks, giving a pleasant crunch to each footfall. 

Perhaps you can spend countless hours taking care of your garden, tending to the plants you’ve ... Read Full Blog

Hidden Hideout Just for Teens

If you have a teenager looking for opportunities to interact socially in the evenings and on the weekends, might I suggest sending them to the Teen Space at the Ames Public Library? The Ames Public Library Teen Space offers teens a place to relax, create, build community, and develop leadership skills.

The Teen Space is located on the ground floor of the Ames Public Library just before you reach the Youth Services desk.  You may have walked right by it without even knowing it was there, as it is closed during the day. But at 4:00pm on weekdays and 1:00pm on we... Read Full Blog

An August of Opportunities

The heat of summer is truly upon us! Things are heating up at the library too. August marks the home stretch for two of our popular reading challenges. 

For the annual Summer Reading Challenge, there is still plenty of time left to complete the challenge. Even if you haven’t started yet, you can complete the challenge and earn your full slate of reading prizes with under an hour of reading per day! (Remember that audiobooks count as reading, too.)

For those who have already completed the Summer Reading Challenge or who are now nearing the finish line, every add... Read Full Blog

Costumes for a Cause

Some friends and I recently got tickets to see a production of “The Prom” at the Ames Community Theater. As we made plans, we had the fun idea to dress the part, perhaps not in the prom dresses of our teens, but in festive attire that would do homage to the theme. We added a pre-prom dinner outing, wrist corsages and group photo under the balloon arch backdrop.

It was a great performance, and we had so much fun.  Dressing up added a festive flair and dressing for a part can take you outside yourself, adding a playful element to a world that often feels busy and s... Read Full Blog

The Importance of Play for Adults

We all know that playing is important for children’s development, but play is also important for adult’s mental health and well-being.  Regular play allows adults to relax, connect with friends and family, and improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills.  Play has been linked to having a better mood, increased productivity, and healthier relationships.[1] 

Play is any activity you do only because you enjoy it, that brings with it an in-the-moment attitude and allows you to engage deeply either with the activity itself or with the people playing w... Read Full Blog

Echoes of Resilience

Ames Public Library, in partnership with the NAACP Ames Branch, Friendship Baptist Church, and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, invite you to join us for a series of films centering the experiences of African Americans in the United States. From Harriet Tubman to Nichelle Nichols (otherwise known as Lt. Uhura to the Star Trek fans out there), this film series provides the opportunity to explore the challenges, triumphs, and resilience of the African American community. 

The film committee, comprised of individuals from all of the partner organizatio... Read Full Blog

Everyone Should Celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It began in 1865, when enslaved people in Texas were first informed that they had been freed by the ending of the Civil War and President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Although slavery legally ended two years before, official enforcement by the Union Army began in Texas on June 19, 1865. The passing of the 13th Amendment later that year eradicated slavery for good. Since then, Juneteenth has remained a nation-wide celebration of Black identity, culture, and achievements.

You ... Read Full Blog

Level Up Your Summer

Have an EPIC summer at the Library with free special activities and a reading challenge for all ages!

Everyone from babies to adults can earn prizes just for tracking their reading in Ames Public Library's Summer Reading Challenge. Pick up a game board, sign up at amespubliclibrary.beanstack.org, or download the Beanstack app to get started.

Once again this summer, children and teens can eat a nutritious free lunch at Ames Public Library. Free Summer Meals available weekdays (except July 4) from 11:30am-12:30pm. Thank you to Chevron Renewable Energy Group, Mary Greeley Medical C... Read Full Blog

Bored? Games! to Liven Up Wednesday Nights

Picture if you a will, a household of four adults sitting around the dinning table. So far, the evening is going great. The dinner was delicious. Conversation flowed. You even managed to avoid the disapproving eye roll of your mother chastising your wardrobe. For after dinner entertainment, you stay gracious as you slide that final tile into your web of design during Azul. When you count your points, you have in fact, demolished your father’s score by double digits. 

Is this scene paradise? Well maybe not for everyone. For me, I have never felt more perfectly fulfil... Read Full Blog

An EPIC Summer at the Library

An EPIC Summer at the Library

Summer is here! Right now, you can feel the excitement in the air as kids say goodbye to another school year. Honestly, summer is hands-down the BEST time to be a youth librarian. Here’s my top ten reasons why.

10. Kids are excited to be here! They get to spend more time playing in our space freely and exploring ways to creatively interact with the toys and make new friends with other kids.

9. Reader’s Advisory: During summer kids get to self-select their reading, which means we get to book-talk and... Read Full Blog

Bike Rodeo at Ames Public Library

Rodeo fans! Swap out your cowboy hat for a bike helmet and come on over to Ames Public Library for the Bike Fair and Rodeo this Saturday, May 31.

The Bike Fair will be held from 10:00 to 1:00 in front of the library. Learn more about biking in our community by meeting local bike-friendly organizations. You can also learn how to load a bike onto a CyRide bike rack. Skunk River Cycles and other community volunteers will be on-site providing free maintenance and basic repairs. Bike locks will be available for free to those who need them (while supplies last).

The ... Read Full Blog

Illuminating the Past

Imagine you live in the 1800s. Your family read in the newspaper about a new form of entertainment and traveled in a wagon to the next town over. You hustle inside and gather closely with dozens of other excited participants, waiting for the show to begin. The lights go out. Suddenly, the room is filled with a bright, larger-than life image. How amazing!

The magic lantern was invented in the mid-1600s, but magic lantern shows became popular in the 1800s. Essentially an early type of slide projector, magic lanterns used a light source (like an oil lamp, candle, or bulb),... Read Full Blog

Free Seeds at Your Library!

I’ve been checking out our new gardening books in preparation for the growing season ahead, but the best thing I have been taking home are the seeds from the Seed Library. The Ames Seed Library is a collaborative effort between the Ames Public Library, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Story County, Ames Repair Café, and Mustard Seed Community Farm. This partnership underscores the shared commitment to fostering self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and a stronger, more connected Ames community, one seed at a time.

The seed library is located on the ... Read Full Blog

Spring into Sustainability

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the grass is greener…what’s not to love about spring? If you are ready to put winter behind us and focus on the beauty of new life all around, I encourage you to join us on May 19 from 6:30-7:30pm for a Backyard Composting workshop. Perhaps you’ve discovered the Ames Seed Library and are ready to start turning waste into food for your new plants. Carissa Thoma from Down to Earth Living will share her years of experience composting!  The compost process, compost bin options, acceptable materials, and t... Read Full Blog