9:00am-6:00pm
Ames Public Library
515 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA 50010
United States
Sun: 1:00pm-5:00pm
Mon: 9:00am-9:00pm
Tue: 9:00am-9:00pm
Wed: 9:00am-9:00pm
Thu: 9:00am-9:00pm
Fri: 9:00am-6:00pm
Sat: 9:00am-6:00pm
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by Bri Martin
All who are on TikTok and have a passion for books, more than likely, have encountered this phenomenon called “booktok”. Yet, what exactly is it? Can I learn something from it? How are individuals coming up with a “booktok” book? What are the standards?
To answer your questions, I’ll share my own personal take on what booktok is, and how you can join this community of bibliophiles. So, to the first question, what is booktok? Booktok is a land of wonderful reads where fellow…
by Jill Philby
Quite a few years ago, my husband and I brought home our first child. He went back to work after a few days. I stayed home with our daughter. I held her, fed her, bathed her, rocked her, and repeated all of that until I couldn’t stand it anymore.
My husband and I had planned for me to stay at home. I wanted to be home with her. It wasn’t that I didn’t love her, and I certainly wanted the best for her. I just didn’t know what to DO with…
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,”…
by Sheila Schofer
Recently libraries across the country celebrated National Friends of Libraries Week. The Ames Public Library gave a shout out of thanks to their sister organization, the Ames Public Library Friends Foundation (APLFF), to mark the occasion. The APLFF and the donations and support they receive from the generous Ames community are absolutely vital to the ongoing success of the library.
Funding from the APLFF allows the library to innovatively respond to community needs…
PBS Books to Stream Interviews with Eight Featured Authors Beginning July 10;
Watch them Here
Throughout history, the art of reading has nourished the mind, sharpened perspective and inspired change. Books are foundational building blocks to learning and the preface to understanding one another, the human condition and lived experience. In so many ways, books build us up, and that’s the theme for this year’s Library of Congress National Book Festival.
Beginning July 10, bookworms…
by Sheila Schofer
The Library has a beautiful entryway with a striking charcoal gray wall that provides a perfect backdrop for exhibits.
The exhibit on display currently is by artist Jordan Brooks and ties in to Juneteenth programming and events happening in the library and the broader community.
The white lettering pops against orange, yellow, green, blue and black backgrounds creating an eye-catching contrast. The words themselves make a statement, too, as they urge viewers of all…
Library News
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Tools for School
Get homework help with the Library's free online resources, check out a Wi-Fi hotspot for Internet access, and use our space for quiet study time! Your Library card gets you free access to premium online resource…
by Tracy Briseño
All across the country, (and in Iowa,) libraries big and small are going “fine free,” and now Ames Public Library has joined them! But what does that mean? It means the Library no longer charges late fees on overdue materials, as long as they’re returned. (You’ll still need to pay for any lost or damaged items.)
Research shows that overdue fines are not as effective as once thought. In the past, the belief was that library fines encouraged people to return…
by Seth Warburton
Travel exists, for me, in about the same space as dancing. I figure some people must be telling the truth when they say they enjoy those activities, but I can’t really relate. What fun you achieve with either activity seems to me to come with too high a price in cash, time, discomfort or perhaps all three. I know that my Ames Public Library colleagues have even written several of these columns extolling the virtue of travel and pointing you to books and other library…
by Rosie Francis
Growing up the very first public library that I used was the one in my neighborhood. The library was tiny, with just a few shelves of books, a couple of tables where magazines were displayed, and some tables with chairs for readers. When the idea to set up a library was first proposed, several families and individuals donated books to get it started. Adults in the community took turns to volunteer and serve as the “librarian”. This meant one week it could be a retired…