Blog Entries

Library Enters New Strategic Plan

Ames Public Library has entered into a new Strategic Plan.

The process of creating this plan began in the fall of 2019. Library staff gathered community input, analyzed data, reviewed library best practices, and looked at overall societal trends. 

“Our goal was to have an open and inclusive process,” said Ames Public Library Director Sheila Schofer. Library staff read the results of 1,000 completed surveys, held staff and board input sessions, and hosted six community stakeholder meetings. The arrival of the pandemic cancelled another meeting, but Library staff reac... Read Full Blog

First National Bank, Ames Donates $10,000 for Wi-Fi Hotspots

An Internet connection is more essential than ever, and a recent donation to First National Bank, Ames is making it more accessible than ever!

For the past few years, Ames Public Library has offered Wi-Fi Hotspots for checkout, allowing families a week of free Internet connection. Demand has been high, to say the least. Now, First National Bank, Ames has donated $10,000 to the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation to increase the Library’s number of available Hotspots to 100! This generous gift will also allow the Library to extend the checkout time.

&n... Read Full Blog

Free Books For Students at Grab and Go Meal Sites

Ames families will again have access to free books on Fridays at four grab and go meal sites: Meeker, Mitchell, Sawyer, and the Ames Public Library. The location for Ames Public Library is at the south end of the alley behind the Library. Vehicles enter the alley from 6th Street. Pedestrians should approach from 5th Street between Douglas Avenue and Kellogg.

One book per week per student will be distributed for students in grades pre-K through 12. Scheduled dates are July 17, 24, 31 and August 7, from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm. Books were purchased by the Ames Public Library ... Read Full Blog

Reopening the Library: Phase 1

***UPDATE: Face coverings are now required in City buildings including the Library.

Starting July 1, Ames Public Library’s lobby will be open for limited “grab and go” services.

We’re excited to welcome the community back into the building!

However, this first phase is a limited reopening of only the lobby for quick holds pickup and checkouts. The focus is on short visits and reduced interaction with staff for the health and safety of visitor and staff.

Please do not come into the Library if you or a member of your household are sick ... Read Full Blog

Message from the Director and Trustees on Racial Injustice

In response to the tragic killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the Ames Public Library and the Board of Trustees reaffirms that we stand against racism and social injustice.

Ames Public Library’s mission is to connect our community—all of our community—to the world of ideas. We are committed to creating that connection through diverse resources, programs, and opportunities that foster learning, self-reflection, and community dialog—be it thought-provoking book recommendations, conversations through our View from the Margins book club, workshops that foster community discussion,... Read Full Blog

Curbside Holds Pickup May 2020

Ames Public Library has introduced a new, contact-free Curbside Holds Pickup service. Curbside Holds Pickup will allow Library cardholders to request physical items like books and DVDs, then schedule an appointment to pick them up in front of the Library.

Director Sheila Schofer says staff is excited to get materials moving out the door again. “We’ve been working hard to safely provide as many of our services as possible to as many people as possible. We were able to ramp up our online offerings quickly when this started, but we wanted to be very thoughtful in planning... Read Full Blog

How many holds can the holds shelf hold?

How many holds can the holds shelf hold? A holds shelf can only hold as many holds as the holds shelf currently holds!

We're sending out information to people with holds on these shelves to sign up for curbside pickup starting May 19. Once we've got a little breathing room, we'll open it up so anyone can place new holds and schedule curbside pickup!

Returning Library Items

We're ready for you to start returning your Library items! 

If you're ready to get the Library books out of your house, drop them off in the drive-up drop box in the alley behind the Library. (The drop box by the front door is also available.)

Please continue to hold onto oversize items, puppets, or anything else that shouldn't go in the drop box. We'll quarantine returned items before re-shelving them as a precaution.

Stay tuned for updates as we get ready to reintroduce some library services!

COVID-19 Closure Update

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ames Public Library is closed for the safety of our visitors, staff, and community.

We are working with the City of Ames and health officials to plan for a gradual reintroduction of services. 

Watch for updates as we approach mid-May.

What's Happening During the Closure?

New York Times Online
You asked for it! Ames Public Library now offers free access to The New York Times online! Connecting you with news and information sources is more important than ever.

Book Give-Way
Did someone say free books? Kids can pick up a free book along with their Grab & Go lunch from Ames schools thanks to the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation, United Way of Story County, and Ames Community School District!

Little Free Libraries
Working with Raising Readers in Story County, the Ames Public Library Friends F... Read Full Blog

Behind the Scenes

As always, Library staff are hard at work behind the scenes. We're still ordering books, movies, and music and getting them ready for you to check out when we reopen. We're shelving any returned items and packing the holds shelves as new books come in. (If you don't need an item you've put on hold, please be sure to cancel it online or by calling us.)

We're also answering questions by phone and e-mail and rearranging some collections to prepare for our reopening. We can't wait to see you again!

Library Closed through May 15

Ames Public Library will be closed starting Tuesday, March 17 through May 15, 2020 for the safety of our visitors, staff, and community. During this time, please take advantage of our e-books and other online resources.

Please keep all materials you currently have checked out until the library re-opens. No items will be due and no fines will accrue while the Library is closed. Held items will not expire, and will be available when we reopen.

Home delivery, deposit collections, Project Smyles, and Bookmobile stops are also suspended during this time.

We wil... Read Full Blog

Small Talk Builds Babies' Brains

Did you know that Ames Public Library is part of an exciting research program about brain development in babies?

Small Talk Story County is a program that not only trains parents how to help their child’s brain development through talk, but also performs research on the outcomes of the training! The program uses an innovative “talk pedometer” to give parents feedback on how much they are talking with their baby.

We’ll have a special event Thursday, August 15, at 7pm in the Library’s Auditorium to share what the research tells us educating parents to better... Read Full Blog

Experiment with a MERGE Cube

Would you like to hold the sun in the palm of your hand? Try it out at the Library!

Visit Ames Public Library's children's area this summer to explore a MERGE Cube. Using an app and the camera on one of our tablets, you can interact with a virtual object that moves, tilts, and rotates with the cube. Different apps bring you different augmented reality experiences, from the solar system to the human heart to a pirate island.

Dog Man Wins March Madness

After a month-long, no-holds-barred brawl, Dog Man (along with Cat Kid) has claimed the title of most popular children's book at Ames Public Library.

The Library's annual March Madness bracket invited visitors to vote on their favorite book in four weeks of match-ups. Mo Willems' Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus flew to the top of the Picture Books brackets, going on to beat Willems' own Let's Go for a Drive, the winner of the Easy to Read Books brackets. Magic Tree House: Dinosaurs Before Dark topped the Juvenile Chapter Books brackets, but couldn't stand up to Juveni... Read Full Blog