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Ames Public Library
Today's Hours: 9:00am - 9:00pm

Ames Public Library

(515) 239-5646
515 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
See map: Google Maps
Sun: 1:00pm-5:00pm
Mon: 9:00am-9:00pm
Tue: 9:00am-9:00pm
Wed: 9:00am-9:00pm
Thu: 9:00am-9:00pm
Fri: 9:00am-6:00pm
Sat: 9:00am-6:00pm

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  • Summer Reading Challenge for all ages: June 1 - Aug. 23, 2022
    Summer Reading Challenge for all ages: June 1 - Aug. 23, 2022
  • Photos of a lion, dinosaur skeleton, tropical plants, and museum display surrounding the Adventure Pass Logo
    Photos of a lion, dinosaur skeleton, tropical plants, and museum display surrounding the Adventure Pass Logo
  • Free Summer Meals for Kids & Teens
    Free Summer Meals for Kids & Teens
  • Park Packs: Explore nature with outdoor gear, field guides, and more!
    Park Packs: Explore nature with outdoor gear, field guides, and more!
  • User silhouette next to key for the User Account button

    My Account

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    Contact Us

  • Stream and Download

    Stream & Download

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    Meeting Rooms

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    Support the Library

Family

Teens

Bookmobile

  • Cover image for Zora Neale Hurston: Novels & Stories (LOA #74)

    Zora Neale Hurston: Novels & Stories (LOA #74)

    Zora Neale Hurston

    This Library of America volume, with its companion, brings together for the first time all of Zora Neale Hurston’s best writing in one authoritative set. When she died in poverty and obscurity in 1960, all of her books were out of print. Today Hurston’s groundbreaking works, suffused with the culture and traditions of African Americans and the poetry of black speech, have won her recognition as one of the most significant modern American writers.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for Year of Wonders

    Year of Wonders

    Geraldine Brooks

    Eighteen-year-old Anna Frith tells the story of her remote English village, Eyam, which was infected by the plague in 1666 and where, persuaded by their vicar, the townspeople decided to quarantine themselves.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for Running with Scissors

    Running with Scissors

    Augusten Burroughs

    The author describes his bizarre coming-of-age years after his adoption by his mother's psychiatrist, during which he witnessed such misadventures as a fake suicide attempt and front-lawn family/patient sleepovers.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for The House of the Spirits

    The House of the Spirits

    Isabel Allende

    The Trueba family embodies strong feelings. This family saga starts at the beginning of the 20th century and continues through the assassination of Allende in 1973.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for China Dream

    China Dream

    Ma Jian

    Blending fact and fiction, this darkly comic fable “may be the purest distillation yet of Mr. Ma’s talent for probing the country’s darkest corners and exposing what he regards as the Communist Party’s moral failings” (Mike Ives, The New York Times). Called “Red Guards meet Kurt Vonnegut . . . powerful!" by Margaret Atwood on Twitter, China Dream is an unflinching satire of totalitarianism. Ma Daode, a corrupt and lecherous party official, is feeling pleased with himself. He has an impressive office, three properties, and multiple mistresses who text him day and night.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for Bless Me, Ultima

    Bless Me, Ultima

    Chronicles the story of an alienated New Mexico boy who seeks an answer to his questions about life in his relationship with Ultima, a magical healer, in a twenty-fifth anniversary edition of the classic novel, which comes complete with a special reading group guide. Reprint.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

    Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

    Jonathan Safran Foer

    Oskar Schell, the 9-year-old son of a man killed in the World Trade Center attacks, searches the five boroughs of New York City for a lock that fits a key his father left behind. Reissue.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for Native Son

    Native Son

    Richard Wright

    Traces the fall of a young black man in 1930s Chicago as his life loses all hope of redemption after he kills a white woman.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for The Handmaid's Tale

    The Handmaid's Tale

    Margaret Atwood

    A chilling look at the near future presents the story of Offred, a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, once the United States, an oppressive world where women are no longer allowed to read and are valued only as long as they are viable for reproduction. Reissue.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for Little Women

    Little Women

    Louisa May Alcott

    Open your heart to the unforgettable March sisters . . . Sensible Meg, hot-headed Jo, quiet Beth, and pretty Amy might be sisters, but they're not alike, and they don't always get along. But when the going gets tough, they know they always have each other. Oxford Children's Classics present not only the original and unabridged drama of Little Women, but also help you discover a whole new world of heart-warming, fun stories, with an amazing assortment of recommendations and activities.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for Fahrenheit 451

    Fahrenheit 451

    Ray Bradbury

    A totalitarian regime has ordered all books to be destroyed, but one of the book burners suddenly realizes their merit.

    View Catalog EntryView Details
  • Cover image for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

    The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

    Mark Haddon

    Despite his overwhelming fear of interacting with people, Christopher, a mathematically-gifted, autistic fifteen-year-old boy, decides to investigate the murder of a neighbor's dog and uncovers secret information about his mother.

    View Catalog EntryView Details

Upcoming Events

This event is in the "Family" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
This event is in the "Adults" group.
Jun-Aug 2022

Summer Reading Incentive Program

All Day 6/1 - 8/23
This event is in the "Family" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
This event is in the "Adults" group.
Jun-Aug 2022

Summer Reading Incentive Program

All Day 6/1 - 8/23
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Ames Public Library
Age Group: Family, Teens, Adults
Program Type: Reading Incentive Program
Program Details:
  Read Beyond the Beaten Path this summer with a reading challenge for all ages! Read what you like to earn prizes and tickets in our end-of-summer prize drawing! Get started on the reading challenge website or find out more at www.amesp...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

This event is in the "Teens" group.
This event is in the "Adults" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

The Bridge Home

11:00am - 2:00pm
This event is in the "Teens" group.
This event is in the "Adults" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

The Bridge Home

11:00am - 2:00pm
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Jonie & John Fitzsimmons Study Room - 1st Floor
Age Group: Teens, Adults
Program Type: Special Event
Program Details:
  Ames Public Library is partnering with The Bridge Home to provide easy access to critical services in our community. Staff from The Bridge Home will be available in the Library to assist individuals and families on the verge of—or experie...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

This event is in the "Family" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Free Summer Meals for Kids and Teens

11:30am - 12:30pm
This event is in the "Family" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Free Summer Meals for Kids and Teens

11:30am - 12:30pm
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Farwell T. Brown Auditorium
Age Group: Family, Teens
Program Type: Special Event
Program Details:
  Having a full stomach of good food is important! Eat a free lunch weekdays starting June 6 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...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

This event is in the "Family" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Tech Tuesdays

1:00pm - 2:00pm
This event is in the "Family" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Tech Tuesdays

1:00pm - 2:00pm
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Danfoss Room
Age Group: Family
Program Type: Class/Workshop, Technology
Program Details:
  Kids going into grades 1st-5th can come explore with different tech devices and theories. Explore what technology does and how it has changed from the past to the present. Consider how inventors use the engineer design process and look...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

This event is in the "Family" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Baby Time

1:30pm - 2:00pm
This event is in the "Family" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Baby Time

1:30pm - 2:00pm
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Storytime Room
Age Group: Family
Program Type: Meetup, Storytime
Program Details:
  Bring your pre-walker to the Library for stories, songs, and baby sign language. Join with other caregivers and older siblings for 20 minutes of fun and learning. Feel free to bring a stuffed animal or doll for the older sibling to learn ...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

This event is in the "Family" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Magic Class

2:00pm - 3:00pm
Closed
Registration
This event is in the "Family" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Magic Class

2:00pm - 3:00pm
Closed
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Farwell T. Brown Auditorium
Age Group: Family, Teens
Program Type: Class/Workshop
Registration Required
Seats Remaining: 0
Program Details:
  Third graders and older are invited to learn magic tricks from magician Rick "Eugene" Brammer.  Each participant will receive a magic kit with supplies to learn 5 different tricks. Registration is required.   Sponsored ...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

This event is in the "Family" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Read with APL-Y

3:00pm - 3:30pm
This event is in the "Family" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Read with APL-Y

3:00pm - 3:30pm
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Storytime Room
Age Group: Family
Program Type: Meetup
Program Details:
  Children of all ages are invited to drop in and read with an APL-Youth volunteer. Readers can practice their skills reading to a teen or older child. Pre-readers can enjoy being read to.  We will have lots of books to choose from,...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

This event is in the "Family" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Camp Smyles Escape Room

5:00pm - 7:00pm
This event is in the "Family" group.
This event is in the "Teens" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Camp Smyles Escape Room

5:00pm - 7:00pm
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Storytime Room
Age Group: Family, Teens
Program Type: Special Event
Program Details:
  Can you beat Ames Public Library's summer Escape Room? Team up and work cooperatively with your group to collect clues, solve challenges, and escape from Camp Smyles! This free escape room experience is for families or groups of 2-7 pe...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

This event is in the "Adults" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Author Event: Teresa Wilhelm Waldof

7:00pm - 8:00pm
This event is in the "Adults" group.
Aug 9 2022 Tue

Author Event: Teresa Wilhelm Waldof

7:00pm - 8:00pm
Library Branch: Ames Public Library
Room: Farwell T. Brown Auditorium
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Author/Writing, History/Genealogy
Program Details:
  Join us for an evening with Teresa Wilhelm Waldof, author of Wilhelm's Way: The Inspiring Story of the Iowa Chemist Who Saved the Manhattan Project.  In February 1942, leaders of the Manhattan Project had a problem: to prove a con...


Ames Public Library connects you to the world of ideas through diverse and inclusive resources and programs. We welcome program proposals via our website at www.amespubliclibrary.org/programproposal.

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Our Location

515 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA 50010

(515) 239-5646

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Library Hours

Monday-Thursday: 9am-9pm
Friday & Saturday: 9am-6pm
Sun: 1pm-5pm

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