Library News
New "12 to Try" Challenge Begins
Summer has come and gone, and that means it's time for a new challenge!
Adults are invited to join this year's "12 to Try" Reading Challenge beginning September 1. Read your way through 12 books that fit the 12 challenge categories by August 31, 2026 to earn prizes.
Here's how it work...
Page One Newsletter
Find out what's happening at the Library, read our Page One newsletter, or sign up for out monthly e-mail newsletter.
Recorded Events
Check our YouTube channel for recordings of some of our past events!
Program Proposals
Want to work with the Library on an event? Share your idea here.
Exhibit Proposals
Have an idea for an exhibit featuring art or educational materials? Share your idea here.
Library Notes
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 t...
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...
Upcoming Events
Families with toddlers are invited for a storytime filled with music, stories, and fun! Mondays and Wednesdays are the same presentation.
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.
Staff from Mary Greeley Medical Center will be available in the Library to talk about inpatient and outpatient mental health services in the Ames community.
- Mondays, 11am-1pm on the second floor
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.
No school today? No problem!
Children in grades K-5 are invited to the Library's no-school day events to create, experiment, and play with a variety of activities.
September 15 will be all about SLIME!
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.
Check out a copy of América del Norte by Nicolás Medina Mora from the Library’s book club collection and join us for a discussion of this year’s adult Great Reads From Great Places selection for Iowa.
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.
Representatives from the non-partisan League of Women Voters will celebrate National Voter Registration Day by helping interested visitors get registered to vote.
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.
Children of all ages and their grown-ups are invited to this storytime to build listening, language, and literacy skills through music, movement, song and action rhymes. Each week will feature a new theme.
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.
Come play chess! Whether you are just a beginner or already an expert, all kids in grades 1-5 are welcome to come have fun. Drop in and learn how to play or make new friends with other chess lovers.
Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome proposals via our website for programs at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal and exhibits at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/exhibit-proposal.