Blog Entries

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

Despite a Year of Ups and Downs Ames Public Library Strategic Plan on Course

It was about this time last year—after gathering data, surveying our staff and public, and holding several community engagements sessions—that the Ames Public Library unveiled its new Strategic Plan.  Now one year in, I thought it would be great to take stock of what we have done to move our goals forward, despite a tumultuous last 12 months.  When we created our plan we did so with broad staff and community involvement, and our goal for implementation of the plan has been the same. We have employees from across departments working collaborati... 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

Ames Public Library: A Story, by You

Here at Ames Public Library we know we provide something different for everyone. We want to know more about the community members we serve every day and how the Library plays a role in their lives. This is why we are asking--what does Ames Public Library mean to you? We want to see how you view the Library and to accomplish this we are asking you to submit a story and photo you believe tell your experience with the Library. 

If I was to turn in my story, I would submit a photo of me working on this article. Accompanying it would be a story about my ... Read Full Blog

Share Your Story

We want to know...what does the Library mean to you? Here at Ames Public Library we know we provide something different for everyone. We want to know more about the patrons we serve everyday and how the Library plays a role in their lives. We want to see how you view the Library and to accomplish this we are asking you to submit story and a photo.

Submit your story online during the month of October for a chance to win a $25 gift card to a downtown Ames business! Winners will be randomly selected from all the entries. 

Be on the lookout for your submission... 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

Your Library is a Center of Civics

Ames Public Library values the role we play as a connector of information to help you be an informed citizen in our community. The Library always strives to make access to information easy, through events like voter registration drives and local candidate forums, but also through the Civics Center webpage at AmesPublicLibrary.org and through materials you can borrow. 

Are you registered to vote? Have you moved and need to update your voter registration records? Next Tuesday, September 28, is National Voter Registration Day and it provides the per... Read Full Blog

A DVD Near You

For the past couple years, things have been all quiet on the movie front. Theaters have stood empty, abandoned movie lots have led to a mere trickle of new releases, and video stores have gone out of business. But—things have not been quiet at your Ames Public Library where movies are concerned! Let me take you on a tour of the additions and improvements we’ve made just in the last 2 years.

First of all, we added a “new” movie section—so all DVDs and Blu-Rays that are new to our collection are shelved together in one spot for easy browsing. (And yes, ... Read Full Blog

Student Library Cards

When my middle schooler came home yesterday, she was excited to have met her school librarian and check out some books she’d never read before. Also, she wanted to share with me some big news. “Did you know that we all have library cards?!” Cue my shocked face. Actually, I did know this as I was part of the team at Ames Public Library (APL) who worked with a school district team to organize this. In June, APL partnered with Ames Community School District (ACSD) to issue over 5,000 public library cards to students.

My daughter has always had library access.... 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

Next Generation of Homeschooling Resources

At the end of last school year, most of us parents were celebrating a return to “normal” over the summer. The pool was opening again, the summer reading program was back at the Library, and we could again look forward to spending time outside with our families at summer concerts and fun events.

I don’t know about you, but the fact that we are not totally back to pre-COVID normal is still a hard pill for me to swallow. Masks are again donning faces as cases surge and social distancing is definitely still an important part of being out in society. Our are... Read Full Blog

My Epic Journey of Becoming a Library Cardholder

I feel like today nothing is actually free and easy to obtain, especially when it comes to becoming a part of a membership program. Services with memberships draw you in with lines like “first month free!” but to get that free month you have to put in all of your information, payment method, and agree to a million terms and conditions. It is stressful, confusing, and intimidating. After going through that process time and time again it makes you weary. That was why when it came time to get an Ames Public Library card, I was prepared to bear the entire process... Read Full Blog