
Growth Mindset
All my life I have had the opposite of a green thumb. I was notorious in my family for killing plants, no matter how much I strived to keep them alive. It was frustrating and disappointing and a bit embarrassing, too. I could keep my pets and my kids alive, but not plants? Read full blog post

Illuminating the Past
Imagine you live in the 1800s. Your family read in the newspaper about a new form of entertainment and traveled in a wagon to the next town over. You hustle inside and gather closely with dozens of other excited participants, waiting for the show to begin. The lights go out. Sudden...

Free Seeds at Your Library!
I’ve been checking out our new gardening books in preparation for the growing season ahead, but the best thing I have been taking home are the seeds from the Seed Library. The Ames Seed Library is a collaborative effort between the Ames Public Library, Iowa State University Exten...

Spring into Sustainability
The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, the grass is greener…what’s not to love about spring? If you are ready to put winter behind us and focus on the beauty of new life all around, I encourage you to join us on May 19 from 6:30-7:30pm for a Backyard Composting workshop. Per...

Fit to Print
At the Ames Public Library, our in-house newspapers have a dedicated core userbase. There are regulars who come every day just to catch up on the news.
But you don’t have to make a trip to the library to peruse the news. That’s because the library offers multiple newspaper reso...