Blog Entries

Characters of a Certain Age

As I head into the second half of my life, I am drawn to books whose characters are also older, experiencing change, looking for connection and meaning in new ways and places. From the funny to the heartwarming to the death-defying, here are some recent favorites.

In “Remarkably Bright Creatures” by Shelby Van Pelt, Tova Sullivan has been rebuilding since her son disappeared, and after her husband dies, she seeks solace in an overnight janitorial job at the local aquarium and her longtime friends, the Knitwits. I loved the slower pace and tone of this book, as wel... Read Full Blog

Hidden Hideout Just for Teens

If you have a teenager looking for opportunities to interact socially in the evenings and on the weekends, might I suggest sending them to the Teen Space at the Ames Public Library? The Ames Public Library Teen Space offers teens a place to relax, create, build community, and develop leadership skills.

The Teen Space is located on the ground floor of the Ames Public Library just before you reach the Youth Services desk.  You may have walked right by it without even knowing it was there, as it is closed during the day. But at 4:00pm on weekdays and 1:00pm on we... Read Full Blog

An August of Opportunities

The heat of summer is truly upon us! Things are heating up at the library too. August marks the home stretch for two of our popular reading challenges. 

For the annual Summer Reading Challenge, there is still plenty of time left to complete the challenge. Even if you haven’t started yet, you can complete the challenge and earn your full slate of reading prizes with under an hour of reading per day! (Remember that audiobooks count as reading, too.)

For those who have already completed the Summer Reading Challenge or who are now nearing the finish line, every add... Read Full Blog

Costumes for a Cause

Some friends and I recently got tickets to see a production of “The Prom” at the Ames Community Theater. As we made plans, we had the fun idea to dress the part, perhaps not in the prom dresses of our teens, but in festive attire that would do homage to the theme. We added a pre-prom dinner outing, wrist corsages and group photo under the balloon arch backdrop.

It was a great performance, and we had so much fun.  Dressing up added a festive flair and dressing for a part can take you outside yourself, adding a playful element to a world that often feels busy and s... Read Full Blog

The Importance of Play for Adults

We all know that playing is important for children’s development, but play is also important for adult’s mental health and well-being.  Regular play allows adults to relax, connect with friends and family, and improve creative thinking and problem-solving skills.  Play has been linked to having a better mood, increased productivity, and healthier relationships.[1] 

Play is any activity you do only because you enjoy it, that brings with it an in-the-moment attitude and allows you to engage deeply either with the activity itself or with the people playing w... Read Full Blog

Television

by Seth Warburton

Our disheartening subject today is that well-known instrument of repression, that symbol of deluded decadence, that cathode-rayed betrayer of sensible taste and thief of precious reading time: the television.  

At least in the days of my youth (now, alas, long fled, and along with them seemingly all morality) the television was a blocky instrument, possessed of three dimensions and therefor useful as a shelf.  In these debauched, modern times, the television has grown hedonistically thin, and thus completely useless even as a surface for piling b... Read Full Blog

Books To Take on Your Next Adventure!

Whether you're packing for a beach vacation, a mountain retreat, or just a long weekend getaway, no suitcase is complete without a good book. Travel offers the perfect chance to escape both physically and mentally—and the right story can transport you even further. Here is a selection of titles to match every kind of journey, from breezy page-turners for sun-soaked afternoons to thought-provoking reads for quiet evenings. Wherever you're headed, let these books be your perfect travel companions!

In Funny Story by Emily Henry Daphne finds herself alone in Waning... Read Full Blog

Echoes of Resilience

Ames Public Library, in partnership with the NAACP Ames Branch, Friendship Baptist Church, and Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames, invite you to join us for a series of films centering the experiences of African Americans in the United States. From Harriet Tubman to Nichelle Nichols (otherwise known as Lt. Uhura to the Star Trek fans out there), this film series provides the opportunity to explore the challenges, triumphs, and resilience of the African American community. 

The film committee, comprised of individuals from all of the partner organizatio... Read Full Blog

PBS Kids Show to Visit Ames Public Library

On Wednesday, July 9th, the Ames Public Library will host two very special guests from the PBS Kids show Wimee’s Words (pronounced WHIM-ee). Michael Hyacinthe, founder of the interactive educational app Wimage and creator of Wimee’s Words, will be joined by the lovable robot Wimee who will livestream onto the library auditorium’s big screen!

Wimee’s Words began in 2016 as part of Michael Hyacinthe’s mission to spark children’s creativity through the Wimage app, which transforms words into images. Believing in the app’s potential for interactive storytelling and learning, ... Read Full Blog

Iowa Center for the Book Announces Selections for 2025 Roadmap to Reading

The Iowa Center for the Book is pleased to announce the two books that will represent Iowa’s rich, literary heritage at the National Book Festival in Washington, DC, on September 6, 2025.  

The Center for the Book (www.read.gov/cfb) in the Library of Congress works with its 56 Affiliate Centers for the Book (the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Guam and Northern Marianas) to fulfill each Center’s mission of promoting literacy and the literary ar... Read Full Blog

Libraries and Dragons

This summer, Ames Public Library is challenging you to “level up.” You might choose to level up your backyard projects, your reading time, or any number of skills. Personally, I’ll be leveling up in roleplaying games.

If you’ve never heard or Dungeons & Dragons or roleplaying games, or you aren’t sure what they are, here are the basics. “Tabletop” roleplaying games like Dungeons and Dragons are kind of a shared storytelling game, usually played in a small group with one person acting as the game master. The game provides the rules and structure. The players step in... Read Full Blog

Everyone Should Celebrate Juneteenth

Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States. It began in 1865, when enslaved people in Texas were first informed that they had been freed by the ending of the Civil War and President Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. Although slavery legally ended two years before, official enforcement by the Union Army began in Texas on June 19, 1865. The passing of the 13th Amendment later that year eradicated slavery for good. Since then, Juneteenth has remained a nation-wide celebration of Black identity, culture, and achievements.

You ... Read Full Blog

Level Up Your Summer

Have an EPIC summer at the Library with free special activities and a reading challenge for all ages!

Everyone from babies to adults can earn prizes just for tracking their reading in Ames Public Library's Summer Reading Challenge. Pick up a game board, sign up at amespubliclibrary.beanstack.org, or download the Beanstack app to get started.

Once again this summer, children and teens can eat a nutritious free lunch at Ames Public Library. Free Summer Meals available weekdays (except July 4) from 11:30am-12:30pm. Thank you to Chevron Renewable Energy Group, Mary Greeley Medical C... Read Full Blog

Bored? Games! to Liven Up Wednesday Nights

Picture if you a will, a household of four adults sitting around the dinning table. So far, the evening is going great. The dinner was delicious. Conversation flowed. You even managed to avoid the disapproving eye roll of your mother chastising your wardrobe. For after dinner entertainment, you stay gracious as you slide that final tile into your web of design during Azul. When you count your points, you have in fact, demolished your father’s score by double digits. 

Is this scene paradise? Well maybe not for everyone. For me, I have never felt more perfectly fulfil... Read Full Blog

An EPIC Summer at the Library

An EPIC Summer at the Library

Summer is here! Right now, you can feel the excitement in the air as kids say goodbye to another school year. Honestly, summer is hands-down the BEST time to be a youth librarian. Here’s my top ten reasons why.

10. Kids are excited to be here! They get to spend more time playing in our space freely and exploring ways to creatively interact with the toys and make new friends with other kids.

9. Reader’s Advisory: During summer kids get to self-select their reading, which means we get to book-talk and... Read Full Blog