Blog Entries

Summer Is for Grownups Too

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

The Elect Few: Running for Elected Office

I think most of us associate November with election season, which may leave you wondering why I’m writing about it in June. The filing deadlines for candidates come much earlier than the election itself, so those interested in running for office need to think ahead. In fact, the filing period for the fall election on November 7, 2023 is August 28 to September 21.

The upcoming November election will include several school board directors, DMACC board members, city council members (including Ames), some city mayors, and Ames city hospital trustees. Other elec... Read Full Blog

Ames Public Library Partners to Celebrate Juneteenth

We want every member of the community to feel like they are welcome at Ames Public Library. It seems so simple, but there is a lot that goes into a sense of belonging—understanding what it means to truly be seen, understood, welcomed and celebrated.

I, along with library staff, have been learning from some amazing speakers about creating an antiracist culture, equity in hiring and recruitment, strategies for inclusive programs and service, and even white supremacy characteristics that are often entrenched in workplace culture. This is an ongoing reflectiv... Read Full Blog

Free Lunch for Kids and Teens

Ames Public Library is once again offering free lunch for kids and teens this summer! 

Families are invited to Free Summer Meals for Kids and Teens weekdays from 11:30am-12:30pm in the Library's Auditorium.

Lunch is free to all youth 18 years and younger; meals for adults accompanying youth are $3.50. (Sorry, no baby formula is available.)

Thank you to the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation for sponsoring Free Summer Meals for Kids and Teens!

Free Children’s Movies at the Ames Public Library

Summer is a great time to come to the library. Not only do we have lots of books, but we also have fun things to do! Today I want to tell you about our Family Flicks series - a great way to stay cool and have some fun this summer.

As part of our wide offering of summer programs, the Ames Public Library will show two family films per month. One will be a matinee showing of a more recent animated movie. The other will be an evening showing of a retro classic for the whole family.

And you can't forget the popcorn! We will have our popcorn popper on han... Read Full Blog

Conversation Circles

Interested in practicing your language skills and connecting with others? Come join one of the Ames Public Library's Conversation Circles programs! Our programs provide a welcoming environment where language learners of all levels can improve their skills by chatting with others in their chosen language.

Conversation Circles: English is led by myself and my colleague, Ellen, every Monday from 12:30-1:30pm. It is the only Conversation Circles program that is facilitated by library staff; whereas, the others are all volunteer-led. The main focus of this ... Read Full Blog

Connect with Fellow Readers at a Library Book Club

This week I wanted to highlight one of our mainstay library services: book clubs. We have three monthly adult book clubs, each run by a librarian on staff. We also offer a monthly homeschooling book club for youth during the school year.

028: Real Reads is our book club for recently published, popular non-fiction. The name is a reference to the Dewey decimal classification for “Books and Reading.” Recent popular choices include “Empire of Pain” and “Four Lost Cities”. Our librarian Cathy started this one in January 2017 and has continued to run it since. I pinch-... Read Full Blog

Summer is Coming

Join Ames Public Library for free special activities and a reading challenge for all ages this summer!

Everyone from babies to adults can earn prizes just for tracking their reading in the Summer Reading Challenge. Pick up a game board or sign up online starting June 1.

Once again this summer, children and teens can eat a nutritious free lunch at Ames Public Library. Lunch is available weekdays form Monday, June 5, through Friday, August 18 (except July 4).

Check the Library's calendar for free events including: Book clubs, meetups, and presentations for a... Read Full Blog

Playful Families…Step Into Storybooks!

I cannot tell you how many times my children have run upstairs and asked me to zip/snap/buckle them into some kind of dress-up outfit. They describe to me amazing stories about the adventures the three of them are taking, all while never leaving the basement. Children’s imaginations are incredible and seeing how the kids cooperate (and many times NOT cooperate) together is not only amazing to see, but it actually builds their cognitive and social development.

Creative play time is so important because it gives kids the chance to direct their own time an... Read Full Blog

Repair Café at Ames Public Library

Do you have a bicycle lingering in your garage with a flat tire or a dangling chain? A piece of jewelry missing a clasp? A jacket that needs mending? Perhaps your espresso maker is making weird noises? Possibly you’ve got a rototiller that isn’t tilling? A beloved old laptop with a stuck DVD drive? You get the picture. Many of us have things at home that need repair, and this weekend you can drop in to a free Repair Café at the library to get help from local volunteers.

The Repair Café will be held at Ames Public Library on Saturday, April 22nd from 10 a... Read Full Blog

First Amendment Days

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” These 45 words establish five freedoms essential to American democracy and culture.  It is too easy to take these freedoms for granted, and so the Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and the Ames Public Library are hosting the First Amendment Days in April to recognize and appreciat... Read Full Blog

Battles at the Ames Public Library

Over the years, you may have noticed a yearly program at our library called the Battle of the Books.  This is one of my absolute favorite programs! In short, 5th and 6th graders compete in trivia battles about books they have read.  However, there is a lot more to these book battles.

Each year, library youth staff get together to decide what books should be featured on the upcoming year’s battles.  These are fun meetings with lots of discussions, as we all keep track throughout the year of books that we think would be great for battle.  I... Read Full Blog

Author Fair

Ames is fortunate be home to a robust community of writers, and author support is one of the many goals of Ames Public Library. One new way the Library is supporting our writing community is through our inaugural Author Fair.

Join fellow writers and book lovers on March 25th for a free afternoon celebrating the craft of writing. Learn from writing professionals and meet local authors in an afternoon celebrating the craft of writing. All Author Fair events are drop in, so feel free to explore any or all of the afternoon’s events.

Starting at ... Read Full Blog

A Serpent at the Opera

Birds sing.  Whales sing. Cicadas, mice, and katydids sing.  But did you know that serpents sing?  The one and only Sid the Serpent will be singing here at Ames Public Library in OPERA Iowa and Des Moines Metro Opera’s family-friendly production of “Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing” on Saturday, March 4, at 2:00pm in the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium. 

Wait.  Opera?  Family-friendly?  Sure!  After all, what is opera but good story-telling, music, theater, art and dance all rolled into one.  And a good opera does what a... Read Full Blog

‘Tis the Season!

There 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.