Blog Entries

A History of the Bookmobile – Sort Of

The 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

Speed Friending, Take Three

by Clelia Sweeney

Speed Friending is the library program I find myself bringing up in conversation the most. I think any busy adult can relate to difficulty in making new friends, and finding social situations to make it happen. We have had great turnout to the two Speed Friending events we have held at the library so far. Come participate in our third on Saturday, September 28th, from 2-4:30pm in the library’s Auditorium!

This month, we have a display on the second floor of the library highlighting friendship stories and non-fiction help for making social connections. S... Read Full Blog

Beautiful Things about Iowa

by Brianne Anderson

Every once in a while, an opportunity lands in your path that is almost too exciting to pass up. This past year, Ames Public Library (APL) had one of those moments when the Library of Congress asked if we’d consider being Iowa’s representing organization for the Center for the Book program. YES! YES!!

The Center for the Book in the Library of Congress is a community of 56 Affiliated Centers, promoting reading, libraries and literacy through the Library of Congress and its Affiliated Centers across the country. APL will now get to use our connecti... Read Full Blog

10 Beautiful Things Photo Contest

Iowa is full of beautiful things!

Celebrate our state and Ten Beautiful Things by Molly Beth Griffin—Iowa’s 2024 “Great Read from Great Places” selection for youth—with a photo contest.

Photo submissions are due September 30, 2024.

Use the online form to send a photo you have taken of something beautiful in Iowa. Winning entries will be displayed on the Iowa Center for the Book website, on Ames Public Library’s social media, or at Ames Public Library’s special exhibit November 1-30.

Find out more or submit your entry at
www.AmesPL.org/form/ten-... Read Full Blog

S.T.E.M. Reading

Looking for something to do this fall? Starting September 13th, every Friday at 10:30am the library runs our Storybook S.T.E.M. program in the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium! Enjoy a range of activities as the weeks go by all focused on an area or subject in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. We’ve had dance parties to make butter, LEGO challenges to create your own zipline car, and a slime lab where we made ooblek! Come sing and dance with us, read a book, and join us in creating!

Here are some fun books to check out from the library so that you can ... Read Full Blog

12 to Try

We’re so busy all the time that it is easy to get stuck in a reading rut, going back to the same authors or genres over and over again. But sometimes it is nice to stretch your legs a little bit, to try something new. Moreover, reading books a little outside of your normal comfort zone can help you consider other perspectives, and even find new favorites you may not have expected. The Ames Public Library’s second annual 12 to Try reading challenge offers you the opportunity to do just that.

Every month between September 2024 and August 2025 will feature a n... Read Full Blog

Tracy Loves Juvenile Nonfiction – Round 4: Let’s start at the very beginning

When I get an urge to learn about a specific topic, my first inclination is to check out a bunch of books on the topic and dive in. On some topics this works okay for me. But most of the time I realize that the books are starting from a level of understanding that I don’t have yet. In those cases, my next step is to head to the juvenile nonfiction section. Some may be too basic for me , but I can generally find something that meets my needs and prepares me to delve deeper.

Recently I did this with gardening books. Despite my mom’s best efforts while I was ... Read Full Blog

Back to School

We 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

Tracy Loves Juvenile Nonfiction – Round 3: Impactful Books

Have you read a book that stayed with you? That you kept coming back to in your mind, and brought up in conversation with others? There are several juvenile nonfiction books that have had a long-lasting impact on me.

“Freedom Walkers” by Russell Freedman is a great place to start. I remember learning about the Civil Rights movement when I was younger but it was a very general. Reading “Freedom Walkers” opened my eyes to how long the Montgomery Bus Boycott actually lasted and how many people made it possible. Freedman does a great job telling about the impa... Read Full Blog

Book Club Picks

If you’re looking for something cool to do inside on hot summer days, you could always start a book club! And if you do, Ames Public Library has a Book Club Collection to help (though you don’t have to be in a book club to borrow books from it).

Our Book Club Collection highlights titles across a variety of genres that are great for discussion. For each title in the collection, we have several copies of the physical book (usually 12 or more) plus a copy of every other format that’s available—which may include audiobook, large print, e-book, and e-audiobook.... Read Full Blog

Adventure Awaits!

Perhaps 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

Ames 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

Have 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

Library of Congress National Book Festival Partners with PBS Books

PBS Books to Stream Interviews with Eight Featured Authors Beginning July 10;
Watch them Here

Throughout history, the art of reading has nourished the mind, sharpened perspective and inspired change. Books are foundational building blocks to learning and the preface to understanding one another, the human condition and lived experience. In so many ways, books build us up, and that’s the theme for this year’s Library of Congress National Book Festival.

Beginning July 10, bookworms across the country can get a glimpse of the 2024 Library of Congress Nation... Read Full Blog

Pub Fic D.I.Y. Costumes for a Cause

When I read, I create pictures in my mind, visualizing in detail the book’s setting and characters. That’s why it’s fun to see books made into movies. We get to see the characters brought to life – even if they don’t always cast the actors we would have picked!

Lucky for you, the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation offers a fun event each summer where you can join fellow booklovers while supporting a good cause, your local public library!

Pub Fiction, dubbed the most literary pub crawl in Ames, invites you to dress up as your favorite literary cha... Read Full Blog