Connect with Fellow Readers at a Library Book Club
Clelia SweeneyThis week I wanted to highlight one of our mainstay library services: book clubs. We have three monthly adult book clubs, each run by a librarian on staff. We also offer a monthly homeschooling book club for youth during the school year.
028: Real Reads is our book club for recently published, popular non-fiction. The name is a reference to the Dewey decimal classification for “Books and Reading.” Recent popular choices include “Empire of Pain” and “Four Lost Cities”. Our librarian Cathy started this one in January 2017 and has continued to run it since. I pinch-... Read Full Blog
Summer is Coming
Join Ames Public Library for free special activities and a reading challenge for all ages this summer!
Everyone from babies to adults can earn prizes just for tracking their reading in the Summer Reading Challenge. Pick up a game board or sign up online starting June 1.
Once again this summer, children and teens can eat a nutritious free lunch at Ames Public Library. Lunch is available weekdays form Monday, June 5, through Friday, August 18 (except July 4).
Check the Library's calendar for free events including: Book clubs, meetups, and presentations for a...
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Playful Families…Step Into Storybooks!
by Brianne AndersonI cannot tell you how many times my children have run upstairs and asked me to zip/snap/buckle them into some kind of dress-up outfit. They describe to me amazing stories about the adventures the three of them are taking, all while never leaving the basement. Children’s imaginations are incredible and seeing how the kids cooperate (and many times NOT cooperate) together is not only amazing to see, but it actually builds their cognitive and social development.
Creative play time is so important because it gives kids the chance to direct their own time an... Read Full Blog
Repair Café at Ames Public Library
by Ellen WanamakerDo you have a bicycle lingering in your garage with a flat tire or a dangling chain? A piece of jewelry missing a clasp? A jacket that needs mending? Perhaps your espresso maker is making weird noises? Possibly you’ve got a rototiller that isn’t tilling? A beloved old laptop with a stuck DVD drive? You get the picture. Many of us have things at home that need repair, and this weekend you can drop in to a free Repair Café at the library to get help from local volunteers.
The Repair Café will be held at Ames Public Library on Saturday, April 22nd from 10 a... Read Full Blog
First Amendment Days
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” These 45 words establish five freedoms essential to American democracy and culture. It is too easy to take these freedoms for granted, and so the Iowa State University Greenlee School of Journalism and Communication and the Ames Public Library are hosting the First Amendment Days in April to recognize and appreciat... Read Full Blog
Battles at the Ames Public Library
by Danielle ZieglerOver the years, you may have noticed a yearly program at our library called the Battle of the Books. This is one of my absolute favorite programs! In short, 5th and 6th graders compete in trivia battles about books they have read. However, there is a lot more to these book battles.
Each year, library youth staff get together to decide what books should be featured on the upcoming year’s battles. These are fun meetings with lots of discussions, as we all keep track throughout the year of books that we think would be great for battle. I... Read Full Blog
Author Fair
by Megan Klein-HewettAmes is fortunate be home to a robust community of writers, and author support is one of the many goals of Ames Public Library. One new way the Library is supporting our writing community is through our inaugural Author Fair.
Join fellow writers and book lovers on March 25th for a free afternoon celebrating the craft of writing. Learn from writing professionals and meet local authors in an afternoon celebrating the craft of writing. All Author Fair events are drop in, so feel free to explore any or all of the afternoon’s events.
Starting at ... Read Full Blog
A Serpent at the Opera
by Jill PhilbyBirds sing. Whales sing. Cicadas, mice, and katydids sing. But did you know that serpents sing? The one and only Sid the Serpent will be singing here at Ames Public Library in OPERA Iowa and Des Moines Metro Opera’s family-friendly production of “Sid the Serpent Who Wanted to Sing” on Saturday, March 4, at 2:00pm in the Farwell T. Brown Auditorium.
Wait. Opera? Family-friendly? Sure! After all, what is opera but good story-telling, music, theater, art and dance all rolled into one. And a good opera does what a... Read Full Blog
‘Tis the Season!
by Max GuldenThere are a few things that just seem inevitable this time each year. People in top hats taking heed of the meteorological expertise of a shadowy subterranean mammal. The glimmer of warmer weather foretelling the approach of spring. A frigid blast of arctic chill to remind us it’s still only February. And then, of course, everyone’s favorite yearly tradition: tax season. For those who truly dread this particular tradition, fortunately, the Ames Public Library offers access to a variety of tax-related resources to help make tax season just a little bit easier.
Home Voices at the Ames Public Library
by Ben SchragI work at a Public Library, but my background is in the creative arts; a little playwriting, a lot of songwriting. One of my regular duties is the Toddler Storytime, where these skills can come in very handy.
When I started doing Toddler storytime, for example, I had a small conundrum. Storytimes usually start with a little welcoming rhyme to help set the tone. But when I started planning and preparing for my Toddler storytimes, I couldn’t find a rhyme that said quite what I wanted to say. They were either not quite the right message or not quite the fe... Read Full Blog
Get on Boards (or Commissions)!
by Cathy CooneyConservation. Historic Preservation. Planning and Zoning. Analysis of Social Services Evaluation Team. Campus and Community. Library. Public Art. Human Relations. Veteran Affairs. These are just some examples of the boards and commissions who advise city and county government on issues, services, and programs. With over 30 boards and commissions between Ames and Story County, everyone can find a good fit for their interests. Serving in this way connects people more deeply to their communities, plays a valuable part in advising governing bodies and recommending policy... Read Full Blog
Calling local Iowa authors!
It’s almost time for Ames Public Library’s Author Fair! Join us for any portion of the program, or enjoy the entire time.
Saturday, March 25, 2023 at Ames Public LibraryPresentation
Make Sense of Writing
1-2pm, Rotary Room
Presented by Michaeljulius Idani, University of Iowa College of Liberal Arts and Science Postgraduate Visiting Writer in Fiction and Visiting Assistant Professor
Book Sales and Signing
2:15-4:15pm, Library Auditorium
Readers are welcome to drop in, chat with authors, purchase books,... Read Full Blog
Winter Reading Challenge
This year's winter reading challenge is already in full swing. If you haven't signed up yet, no is the time! All ages can join the Winter Reading Challenge, from adults to babies.
To participate, just read 30 days before the end of January. It doesn't matter what you read or how long you read—just read! Track your days online at amespubliclibrary.beanstack.org or pick up a paper reading challenge at the Library or Bookmobile.
Once you're done, you can pick up your free prize (courtesy of Ames Public Library Friends Foundation) at the Library or Bookmobile!
... Read Full Blog
Projects and Papers and Tests, Oh My!
Ames Public Library is here to help students finish out the semester with success!
Your Library card gets you free access to online tutoring, test prep, and writing lab with Brainfuse HelpNow. Get started at www.amespubliclibrary.org/databases.
The Library has also reserved space just for quiet study time. Drop in any of the following times, or ask about our regular study rooms!
Monday-Tuesday, December 5-6: 1-8:45pm, Rotary Room Wednesday, December 7: 1-8:45pm, Danfoss Room Friday-Saturday, December 9-10: 9am-5:45pm, Rotary RoomSunday, De... Read Full Blog
Junk Mail Migration
by Megan Klein-HewettJunk mail and bird migration, what’s the connection? For local artist Kristin M Roach, the connection was obvious - deforestation. Her new installation, Junk Mail Migration, focuses on the shifting patterns of bird migration that have been impacted by global deforestation. These changes are interpreted through an interdisciplinary exhibition featuring paintings, weaving, and technology, which is on display at Ames Public Library through November 29.
Upon entering the Library’s vestibule you will see paintings of 19 songbirds, all of which are impacted... Read Full Blog