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
The Importance of Play for Adults
by Anessa OlsonWe 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
Echoes of Resilience
by Megan Klein-HewettAmes 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
Everyone Should Celebrate Juneteenth
by Clelia SweeneyJuneteenth 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
by Robyn RohdePicture 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
by Brianne AndersonAn 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
by Ellen WanamakerRodeo 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