Blog Entries

Ames Pridefest returns to Downtown and the Ames Public Library

By Ben Schrag

It’s always wonderful to see downtown Ames come to life with any of our large community celebrations! Farmers’ markets, art festivals, and outdoor live performances are all part of what makes downtown special. Did you see those pictures from RAGBRAI? Downtown is a wonderful place for our community to gather together. These large events are an economic boon and a feather in our community’s collective cap.

Of all the reasons to gather downtown, I’m particularly excited for Pridefest. Part of being in community with each other means supporting and caring for everyone... Read Full Blog

Try 12 To Try: APL’s Newest Reading Challenge!

By Cathy Cooney

I love browsing and scooping up a few new favorites in my go-to genres: romance, mystery, historical fiction, fantasy. I think everyone gravitates toward books we already know we’ll enjoy. But the library contains many different and amazing choices! This year, join the 12 To Try Reading Challenge for Adults to push the boundaries of your literary comfort zone.

Unlike our winter and summer reading programs, this challenge features 12 unique prompts to focus your year of reading. September’s challenge is to read fiction featuring LGBTQIA+ characters. You could cho... Read Full Blog

New International Student and Family Meetup

By Chelsie Gohlmann

We are very fortunate to have such a diverse population in Ames! The university and various employers draw in international individuals and their families to relocate to our city – even if it’s just for a short while. It can feel overwhelming leaving your home country and even isolating when you move to a new place with little support or friends. I feel very strongly about uplifting the international residents in our community and giving them a welcoming space to meet with others adjusting to life away from their home countries. The library will be hosting a new progr... Read Full Blog

Back to School Reading

by Tracy Briseño

It’s back to school time; For my family, that means less free reading time, more early mornings and after school activities, and busy days. This could lead to us borrowing fewer books and reading less.

Instead what tends to happen is that our reading shifts. The high schooler reads more on Libby and turns to well-loved graphic novels for fun, quick reads. The fifth grader usually find topics from school or elsewhere that spark her curiosity. (Right now it’s biographies, but last year it was gross bugs.) The first grader gets hooked on a subject or type of book ... Read Full Blog

Speed Friending

by Clelia Sweeney

It can be hard to make friends as an adult. Whether you are a recent graduate making your way in the world for the first time, someone who just moved to town, or just looking for new people to add to your circle, speed friending could be for you. It is a socializing, mingling event with a speed-dating-like set up but no dating or romance involved. If you are looking to meet new people and make friends, it is a great place to start.

If this sounds intriguing, come join us for a round of speed friend-matching and casual socializing at the Ames Public Library! We... Read Full Blog

National Relaxation Day

by Ellen Wanamaker

Today marks a somewhat obscure holiday: NATIONAL RELAXATION DAY, celebrated each year on August 15th. It’s an appropriate time to focus on relaxation, since next week launches the school year, a time of transition, busy schedules, and a frantic pace of life. To celebrate, here are suggestions for TEN WAYS you can relax here at Ames Public Library.

LISTEN to some relaxing music by checking out our extensive CD collection, or downloading music via the free Hoopla app. Our CD genres include jazz, folk, blues, world, bluegrass, and more. PLAY chess with a ... Read Full Blog

High Seas Trending

by Ethan Atwell

As the teen librarian at Ames Public Library, I have the privilege to review and order books for the young adult section. In doing this I notice trends in the stories being shared and published. Some trends are almost always present, like a high school setting, the chosen one, or enemies to lovers. Other trends are more subtle.

One of the more subtle trends recently is the uptick in books featuring mermaids, pirates, or adventures in the high sea. It’s hard to know why this is a trend. It could be popular shows about pirates, a recently remade mermaid class... Read Full Blog

Dressing the (Literary) Part

by Anessa Olson

Every year, the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation hosts Pub Fiction, the most literary pub crawl in Ames! Participants visit participating locations downtown, each with its own theme and exclusive drink special. Pub Fiction is on Thursday, August 10, with check-in between 5:30 and 6:30 at the Ames Public Library, and tickets can be purchased at the Library or online at bit.ly/PubFiction2023. All participants must be 21 or older.

All of the money raised by Pub Fiction goes to support the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation. The Friends support the li... Read Full Blog

Summer Is for Grownups Too

by Megan Klein-Hewett

Summer is an exciting time at Ames Public Library, filled with fun and exciting programs for all ages. In adult services, we focus on bringing engaging and educational programming to our adult community members. This summer we’ve been lucky to host a number of talented guests, with more still to come!

First up, join Ames Public Library, Ames Pride, and Dog-Eared Books in welcoming author, poet and essayist, Diana Goetsch. Diana’s 2022 memoir, “This Body I Wore,” explores the author’s journey through gender transition as an adult, and the growth of the... Read Full Blog

RAGBRAI at 50

by Anastasia Tuckness

Next week, thousands of bicycles will roll through Ames as part of the historic 50th RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa—“Register” meaning the newspaper The Des Moines Register). RAGBRAI had a humble beginning—two Register reporters wanted to try biking across the state and thought it would be great if the Register picked up the tab! Now it is internationally renowned as the best weeklong bicycle tour (except perhaps the Tour de France). Iowa is uniquely suited for distance biking due to its extensive network of secondary paved roads that... Read Full Blog

I Was Told There’d Be No Math

by Alissa Dornink

I started playing Dungeons and Dragons online with friends in the early days of the pandemic as a way to hang out and connect virtually when connecting face to face was discouraged. We played on Roll20, a role playing game website with video chat. It let you fill in your character information and managed the dice rolling and actions with the click of a button. All the hard work of rolling dice to decide how powerful your character was or figuring out damage when fighting was done behind the scenes. I didn’t fully appreciate how much math was involved until I starte... Read Full Blog

Chillin’ with a Good Book

by Danielle Ziegler

When I was a kid growing up in the 90s, we didn’t have air conditioning at home. Instead, during long, hot summer days, my sister and I joined our friends in activities meant to make us feel cooler.  We saw many matinees at the movie theater, spent hours hanging out at our library, and watched and read things meant to make us cold.  Kids can still do that during the summer with the Ames Public Library. Check out these cold and snowy books!

One of my absolute favorite picture books, “Big Snow” by Jonathan Bean is set while a young boy anxiously... Read Full Blog

E-Magazines for Days!

by Max Gulden

Electronic resources provide excellent library content that more and more people use each day. They are convenient on the go, as you can access them anywhere with the right apps and an internet connection to download or stream. One electronic resource format that is sometimes overlooked is e-magazines. We have thousands to choose from and they’re available any time!

One way to access e-magazines is the online catalog BRIDGES. To use BRIDGES, you can download the free app Libby on your tablet or smart phone. BRIDGES can also be accessed through the webpage ame... Read Full Blog

The Elect Few: Running for Elected Office

by Cathy Cooney

I think most of us associate November with election season, which may leave you wondering why I’m writing about it in June. The filing deadlines for candidates come much earlier than the election itself, so those interested in running for office need to think ahead. In fact, the filing period for the fall election on November 7, 2023 is August 28 to September 21.

The upcoming November election will include several school board directors, DMACC board members, city council members (including Ames), some city mayors, and Ames city hospital trustees. Other elec... Read Full Blog

Ames Public Library Partners to Celebrate Juneteenth

by Sheila Schofer

We want every member of the community to feel like they are welcome at Ames Public Library. It seems so simple, but there is a lot that goes into a sense of belonging—understanding what it means to truly be seen, understood, welcomed and celebrated.

I, along with library staff, have been learning from some amazing speakers about creating an antiracist culture, equity in hiring and recruitment, strategies for inclusive programs and service, and even white supremacy characteristics that are often entrenched in workplace culture. This is an ongoing reflectiv... Read Full Blog