Blog Entries

So Many Lokis

I had been waiting all year for June, ever since Disney announced the Loki miniseries would be available on demand. Wednesdays (or Loki Day as I started calling it) were the highlight of the week when I could sit down and finally watch the next episode.

My first introduction to the God of Mischief was in Marvel’s 2011 “Thor” movie as he tried to take over Asgard. I followed his adventures in the first “Avengers” movie where he schemed to rule Earth, then in “Thor: The Dark World” where he teamed with Thor to fight the Dark Elves, and in “Thor: R... Read Full Blog

What Will You Read Next?

With so many fantastic books in the world, and in the library, how do you narrow down your options? Some readers choose what to read based on their mood. Others go through phases where they only pick one type of book. (I once read nothing but cozy mysteries for 2 years.) Some move alphabetically through a list, grab a book with an eye-catching cover, binge series by series, or follow an order only they understand. What do all of these readers have in common? No matter what method you use, at some point you’ll finish your current book and need to decide on your next l... Read Full Blog

Oh the (In)Humanity

Books give readers the opportunity to look through the eyes of all sorts of people, and sometimes even take the point of view of characters that aren’t “people” at all.  Animal characters, for example, are a staple of children’s literature.  They make for cute illustrations, of course, but there’s often more to it than that.  John Jory and Erin Kraan’s picture book “Something’s Wrong” features a self-conscious bear named Jeff who walks out into the woods one morning with the conviction that something isn’t quite right.  The child you read it to will ... Read Full Blog

Armchair Adventures

There are a million good reasons to go on an armchair adventure. You probably already travel in your armchair a few or more times a week without even thinking about it! Maybe it’s armchair dining with your favorite food channel, space exploration with the latest issue of “National Geographic,” or revisiting your favorite trip with a photo album. All of these are great ways to explore from—and with—the comforts of home. However, if you're like me and have found yourself wanting to explore something new, be sure to stop by the Ames Public Library as there is plenty more to... Read Full Blog

To Hear the Story Told

I love to read books. I love having old favorites lined up on a shelf ready to open. I love the feel of the paper and the fun of using a special bookmark to mark my progress. I love being able to lend a favorite to a friend.

I also love e-books. I enjoy having a selection of items ready to read depending on my whim. I love the convenience of reading while eating with my phone propped up. I love being able to check out the next book in the series from the library at 11pm when I must know what happens next.

But, I have to say, there is something sp... Read Full Blog

Books for the Newly Adults and the In-between Ages

Reading has always been a part of my life. For as long as I can remember I have been able to bring the words in a novel to life in my head. In elementary school I started off with Junie B. Jones books and never looked back. Between middle school and high school, I found some of the best young adult novels, and I have continued to read them ever since. Now that I am 20 and in college, I have started to notice a problem; I feel slightly too old for young adult books and slightly too young for most adult books.

Before I continue, I want to say I don’t belie... Read Full Blog

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Each May the Library honors Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Heritage months provide us with an opportunity to reflect on our own cultural experiences, or learn from experiences that are unlike our own. Here are some great books to help you navigate the Asian American experience through literature. Take some time this month to explore the world through these titles!

You are probably familiar with Celeste Ng, author of “Little Fires Everywhere,” but you may not have read her debut novel, “Everything I Never Told You.” Set in the 1970... Read Full Blog

Star Wars: The Fan Awakens

Hello there! It’s Star Wars day, and what a day for a Star Wars fan to be alive! With a new Star Wars series launching and many more projects already announced, it looks like the galaxy far, far away is getting bigger every day.

Before we continue, I have a confession to make; until recently, I had only really watched the Star Wars movies. I knew there were animated TV shows, books, and games out there, but I didn’t pay too much attention to them.

Like many casual Star Wars fans, “The Mandalorian” opened my eyes to some of the stories happening off th... Read Full Blog

Departing from the Canon

How many of you have heard a version of the phrase, “The world is a different place than it used to be”? I can hear my grandparents saying this to me as I was growing up and learning to drive and navigate adolescence. My parents have spoken thus numerous times while discussing my parenting choices as they babysit their grandchildren. And last week, I used a similar phrase to explain life before the internet to my own young children.

Change happens and the world evolves with it. Change can be good, but it also brings struggles to adapt and adjust. Our wo... Read Full Blog

Move over, Nancy Drew!

One day last fall, I came to work and noticed a stack of books on my desk. Hmm, I thought, those are those dusty teen detective novels I never got around to reading. Why the sudden interest? Turns out a new show on Netflix featuring Enola Holmes was prompting lots of holds. One of my coworkers surveyed the books and determined—they need to be moved from teen to juvenile! And they need to be catalogued as a series! And we need a whole bunch of new copies! And thus began a flurry of activity to meet the demand.

Enola Holmes herself was an original creat... Read Full Blog

Better Together

When kids ask for help finding books here at the library, it seems as if they fall into one of two camps.  They like either fiction or non-fiction, and there isn’t much overlap.  Once in a while someone will ask for non-fiction books about dragons or some other magical creature—which always makes me chuckle—but in general, it’s a definite one or the other. 

But the few kids who ask for both are on to something.

When you pair fiction with nonfiction, you learn better.

Reading fiction works on your emotional brain.  Fict... Read Full Blog

Twenty Twenty-One

If someone were to ask you to pick out a single notable thing about the year 2021, what would you say? I’m going to go out on a limb and choose something a bit controversial: it ends in a one. As a nod to this endearing attribute of this most endearing year, let’s look back to some memorable films set in years that also end in a one that are—or will soon be—available through your Ames Public Library.

2011. “Nomadland.” This critically-acclaimed film follows the experiences of Fern (Frances McDormand) as she turns to the road following the death of her spouse ... Read Full Blog

Facing Our Truth

We’ve faced a lot of truths about ourselves, about technology, and about our communities over the past year. 

Iowa State University (ISU) Department of Music and Theatre invites us to continue this self-exploration as they present “Facing Our Truth: Ten Minute Plays on Trayvon, Race and Privilege.”  The show streams March 25-27 at 7:30pm and on Sunday, March 28 at 2pm. The link can be found at their website: www.music.iastate.edu.  Those attending the Thursday performance are invited to ask the cast and director questions in a post-... Read Full Blog

Cookbooks from Your Favorite Worlds

I have two hobbies—baking and watching superhero/fantasy/sci-fi movies—and during the last year have found myself with even more time for those. I would pick a type of dessert and make variations on that for a month or until I ran out of recipes that looked interesting in a particular cookbook. I baked my way through America’s Test Kitchen’s ‘The Perfect Cookie: Your Ultimate Guide to Foolproof Cookies, Brownies, and Bars’ looking for the perfect chocolate chip cookie and moved on to making pies from scratch using their ‘The Perfect Pie: Your Ultimate Gui... Read Full Blog

Reading Aloud Can Be a Bridge to Reading Independently

Every year here in Iowa, after other big children’s book awards are finished, it is time for the Bridge to Reading Book Awards. This award, sponsored by the Youth Services Subdivision of the Iowa Library Association, is definitely one of my favorites. The Bridge to Reading finalists are all chosen by Iowa librarians from amazing picture books that are perfect for reading aloud. And then, children and families get the chance to vote on what books they loved best! 

The Bridge to Reading Award has a lot more purpose than just honoring a gr... Read Full Blog