250th Anniversary of the United States
by Anessa Olson250 years ago, 56 men representing the thirteen British colonies in North America signed the Declaration of Independence and created the nation in which we now live. To celebrate this anniversary, the Ames Public Library has received a grant from WETA, the PBS station who published Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt’s new documentary, The American Revolution. We are using this funding to support exhibits, displays, and a special event.
Beginning on March 1, document reproductions will be on exhibit in the library vestibule. These documents showcase not just th... Read Full Blog
What’s Your Mother Language?
By Danielle ZieglerFebruary has many well-known holidays from Groundhog Day to Valentine’s Day to Presidents’ Day. However, I would like to share with you a little-known day that I just learned about: International Mother Language Day. Celebrated on February 21st, International Mother Language Day celebrates languages and cultural diversity.
According to the United Nations, International Mother Language Day started in 1999, after Bangladesh put it forth as an initiative. For more than 25 years, people have been using it as a reminder that your mother language, or first language,... Read Full Blog
Time to Get Growing!
by Megan Klein-HewettIt’s 9 degrees out with a Winter Weather Advisory just behind us as I write this, but I’m already thinking about spring. As an avid gardener I begin dreaming about my garden early. Every January I inevitably I find myself daydreaming about what I want to grow. What seeds do I have left over from last year? What seeds do I want to acquire? When do I need to get them sown indoors to have a productive harvest? At Ames Public Library we’re fortunate to have the Ames Seed Library, a community-driven catalog of free seeds!
To kick off the 2026 growing season, APL will b... Read Full Blog
Rooted in Success: Celebrating National Seed Swap Day
by Alissa DorninkMost people think of libraries as quiet places filled with books, but we are proving they are also places where community roots (literally) take hold. Every year, on the last Saturday in January, gardeners across the country celebrate National Seed Swap Day. This year, Ames Public Library is hosting a Seed Giveaway on Saturday, January 31, from 3-5pm. The aim is to help folks prepare for the upcoming spring season, as far away as that may seem, while learning about the importance of sustainability.
One of the resources at the Seed Giveaway will be the Ames Seed Librar... Read Full Blog
‘That’s Fun’ Makes Adult Play a Priority
by Robyn RohdeI have long joked that if something wasn’t in my phone calendar then it didn’t exist. Unfortunately, that means spontaneity, specifically around fun, is often lost to the unending responsibilities of adulthood.
Starting in 2026, Ames Public Library is helping by carving out some time for adult fun. On the second Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm, there will be a different activity for adults in the Auditorium in a series called, “That’s Fun!” Events range from puzzle competitions and escape rooms to trivia nights and pun battles. Each month features a different ac... Read Full Blog
Book Clubs for Teens, Families, and Parents
by Genya CoffeyThe Youth Services Department at Ames Public Library is offering four engaging book clubs this winter which offer a space for teens, families, and parents to connect through reading. Each program is free and open to the public.
Teens have two options for monthly book club experiences. Both are held in the library’s Teen Space on Friday’s after school. The Teen Silent Book Club meets on the first two Friday’s of each month at 4pm. It offers a relaxed environment where teens (6th-12th graders) bring any book and enjoy quiet reading time alongside other tee... Read Full Blog
10 Years at the Ames Public Library
by Ben SchragTen years ago, I began working at the Ames Public Library. What I didn’t know then was how much I would enjoy library work. Libraries strengthen our communities and I am proud to work in a public library.
The public library serves you at every phase of life. New child? Come to our Baby Time, or start the 1,000 books before Kindergarten program. Newly retired? Come volunteer with us. New in town? One of my very favorite things is being a first stop for people new to our city.
Need a place for your Zoom meeting or online job interview? Try one of our study rooms. Rehe... Read Full Blog
2026 All Iowa Reads Selections Announced
State Library of IowaThe 2026 All Iowa Reads selections were announced Oct. 9 on Iowa Public Radio’s Talk of Iowa program with host Charity Nebbe. Nebbe was joined by All Iowa Reads committee member Mike Jorgensen of the Coralville Public Library to announce the title for adults; and Janeé Jackson-Doering, Youth Services Consultant at the State Library and head of the All Iowa Reads teen and kid committees, to announce the titles for teens and kids. See the selected titles for 2026 below!
The 2025 All Iowa Reads selection for adults is THE QUIET LIBRARIAN by Allen Eskers.The 2026 Teen Al... Read Full Blog
Women’s Basketball: Shattering the Glass
by Ellen WanamakerOn a whim this morning at HyVee I bought a box of Caitlin’s Crunch Time cereal. As I munched on the frosted flakes, I got thinking about all the athletes who are breaking barriers for girls to dream about becoming sports superstars.
Caitlin Clark’s rise to basketball fame started here in Iowa of course. She was already an exceptional player in high school, then catapulted to the top of the women’s college game during her years at the University of Iowa. Now we’re cheering her on along with her Indiana Fever teammates in the WNBA.
The women playing in Iowa’s fir... Read Full Blog
Calling All Readers! It’s the Author Fair!
by Cathy CooneyLooking for your next favorite author? They might (literally) be just around the corner. Join us Saturday, September 20, from 2-5 pm for Ames Public Library’s 3rd Author Fair, presented in partnership with the Iowa Center for the Book.
We’ll have 38 Iowa authors spread throughout our Auditorium on the first floor and the upstairs Gallery space. There will also be representatives from a local publisher and writers’ group.
If you’re already a fan of one of our authors, bring your copy of their book to have it signed. If you’re exploring and hoping to dis... Read Full Blog
Bringing Authors to You
by Megan Klein-HewettIn 2025, Ames Public Library (APL) was designated as the Iowa Center for the Book. This Library of Congress program works to promote literature and the literary heritage of each state and U.S. territory. Through the Center for the Book, APL staff help select books each year that represent the literary heritage of Iowa for a program called Great Reads from Great Places.
APL staff will be at the National Book Festival in Washington D.C. representing the Iowa Center for the Book and sharing information about Iowa’s 2025 Great Reads from Great Places selections.... Read Full Blog
Deep Roots Book Group
by Amanda MolumbySummer is winding down, kids are back to school and fall is right around the corner. Here in Iowa, we have the great pleasure of experiencing the changing of the seasons. There’s nothing I enjoy more than a good hike around a wooded area, tucked away from civilization, or a crisp fall walk in a light jacket, admiring the leaves as they give one last hurrah in blazing colors before they fall to the earth to coat the sidewalks, giving a pleasant crunch to each footfall.
Perhaps you can spend countless hours taking care of your garden, tending to the plants you’ve ... Read Full Blog
Hidden Hideout Just for Teens
by Genya CoffeyIf 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
by Max GuldenThe 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
by Sheila SchoferSome 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