Blog Entries

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

Bike Rodeo at Ames Public Library

Rodeo fans! Swap out your cowboy hat for a bike helmet and come on over to Ames Public Library for the Bike Fair and Rodeo this Saturday, May 31.

The Bike Fair will be held from 10:00 to 1:00 in front of the library. Learn more about biking in our community by meeting local bike-friendly organizations. You can also learn how to load a bike onto a CyRide bike rack. Skunk River Cycles and other community volunteers will be on-site providing free maintenance and basic repairs. Bike locks will be available for free to those who need them (while supplies last).

The ... Read Full Blog

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. Suddenly, the room is filled with a bright, larger-than life image. How amazing!

The magic lantern was invented in the mid-1600s, but magic lantern shows became popular in the 1800s. Essentially an early type of slide projector, magic lanterns used a light source (like an oil lamp, candle, or bulb),... Read Full Blog

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 Extension and Outreach Story County, Ames Repair Café, and Mustard Seed Community Farm. This partnership underscores the shared commitment to fostering self-sufficiency, environmental stewardship, and a stronger, more connected Ames community, one seed at a time.

The seed library is located on the ... Read Full Blog

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. Perhaps you’ve discovered the Ames Seed Library and are ready to start turning waste into food for your new plants. Carissa Thoma from Down to Earth Living will share her years of experience composting!  The compost process, compost bin options, acceptable materials, and t... Read Full Blog

Battle of the Books Bravery

A few weeks ago, on the last Thursday in March and the first Thursday in April, you could feel the tension and excitement in the air. The Ames Public Library was filled with fifth or sixth graders and their families, as well as their teachers or librarians. It was our annual Battle of the Books! 

Ames Public Library’s Battle of the Books is a huge trivia competition for teams of up to four fifth or sixth grades. They read and talk about the year’s chosen books. Then, they come to the main event at the Library for two rounds of trivia competition.  The top ... Read Full Blog

Art at Your Library

by Anessa Olson

You don’t have to go to a museum to see great art.  In fact, you can come to the Ames Public Library. Every month the library has an art exhibit in our entryway, and sometimes additional exhibits elsewhere in the building as well. 

This month, for the entire month of April, Ames Public Library is hosting two art exhibits.  In the entryway, we have spectacular photographs of the night sky taken by the Ames Area Amateur Astronomers. Each image was captured by a local astrophotography enthusiast. Photographs on display will include stunning time-lapse... Read Full Blog

International Friendship Fair Brings Cultures Together in Ames

Since 1992, the YWCA Ames-ISU has partnered with the Ames community to host the International Friendship Fair (IFF), a celebration of global cultures and community spirit. This year, the tradition continues on Saturday, March 29, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the Ames Public Library.

The IFF offers a welcoming space where community members of all ages can experience the richness and diversity of cultures from around the world. Visitors will explore interactive exhibits, cultural displays, and engaging activities. From hands-on crafts and multicultural games, to m... Read Full Blog

The Baby Fair is Back!

Getting ready for a baby is a big job. Babies need plenty of diapers, bottles, and clothing, but there are always things—and services—that parents and families may not realize are available. A breastfeeding parent may know that a breast pump would be a wonderful thing to have, but not know where to find one. They might also not realize that lactation specialists are available for breastfeeding issues. Maybe an expectant parent is weighing the pros and cons of a hospital vs. home birth or are considering having an additional professional attend their delivery but need to f... Read Full Blog

Get Growing with the Ames Seed Library

You can check out a lot of surprising things at the Ames Public Library, but did you know you can borrow seeds to grow your own garden? The Ames Seed Library is a community resource that offers free vegetable, flower, fruit and herb seeds in order to empower people to grow their own food and build relationships through gardening. 

This joint project between Ames Public Library, Iowa State Extension and Outreach Story County, Mustard Seed Community Farm, and Seeds of Sustainability, provides a resource for the Ames community to access a wide variety of seeds t... Read Full Blog

All Things Outdoors at the Ames Public Library

As February comes to an end, Spring feels tantalizingly close. Whether you are a fan of the outdoors, are conservation-minded, or just love a good road trip, this week the Ames Public Library has several events for you!

Come to the library Wednesday night at 7pm for Adventures Along the Lincoln Highway, presented in partnership with the Ames Historical Society. Iowa journalist and historian Darcy Maulsby will talk about an amazing slice of Iowa history. Travelers on interstates (or any paved road) owe a debt of gratitude to the visionaries who promoted the Lincoln Highway... Read Full Blog

A Visit from The Nutcracker

“The Nutcracker Ballet” is coming to CY Stephens Auditorium on December 14 and 15, 2024, but you can get a sneak peak with excerpts from the performance at Ames Public Library on Saturday, November 23, 2024 at 10:30am. The performance will be followed by an opportunity from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach to use your engineering and artistic skills in a Nutcracker design challenge using LEGO® or other materials. In addition, attendees will be entered into a drawing for free tickets to see “The Nutcracker” at Stephens Auditorium courtesy of Iowa State Center.

“When My Husband Ran for President…”

If you’ve lived in Iowa for any amount of time you probably know the last name Harkin. When you hear it, you probably think of Tom Harkin, long-time Senator from Iowa. Did you know that it was his wife, Ruth, who was the first in their family to run for office? She not only ran for, but won, the seat of Story County attorney in 1973, making her one of the first female prosecutors elected in the United States.

Ames Public Library, the Iowa Center for the Book, the Ames Writers Collective, and KHOI Community Radio are thrilled to host Ruth Harkin in pre... Read Full Blog