Ames Free Library

"Where the Community Connects"

Catalog Search

Kids Homepage

Take Your Child to the Library Day

Enjoy a flash storytime every hour on the hour!
February Staycation

Join Youth Services for break week programs for kids of all ages!
Tiny Tots Play & Learn

Meet New Friends!
Block Party & Block Party Jr.

Lego your boredom and come to the coolest block party in town!
Winter Storytime

This winter, storytime will be meeting inside the library in the Children's Room!

Welcome to the Youth Services Department

We are committed to giving you, children birth through fifth grade, and your parents and caregivers of all ages personalized attention.

Books, magazines, and multi-media materials selected for ages birth through fifth grade can be found in the William Hadwen Ames Memorial Room. Puzzles for pre-schoolers, and personal computers for children’s use can also be found in this area.

Kids Blogs

Snow Slime!

Friday, December 30

Were you dreaming of a White Christmas but experienced a bitterly cold one instead? Are you dreading the snow and slush that the rest of this winter may have in store for us? Do you wish you could...

Cozy Kids' Reads for the Holiday

Thursday, December 22

This Winter Break, put on your fuzzy socks, build a blanket fort, ask a grown-up to make you a cup of cocoa, and snuggle up with a seasonal read. All of these great books were featured during...

Join the Hunt!

Tuesday, December 06

I spy with my little eye…something totally fun! Did you know that the Children’s Room now offers themed Scavenger Hunts? You can find them in-room during the last week of every month. Decode a...

He, She, They, & JK: A Pride Post

Wednesday, June 29

I have a complicated relationship with JK Growling – not with the bear herself, of course (she’s my BFF!), but with her name. First, a bit of history: When I began working at the Ames Free Library,...

Nature Bingo Booklist: Rainbow

Friday, June 17

This Summer, families can "Read Beyond the Beaten Path" and play Nature Bingo! We have five themed bingo cards waiting for you in the Children's Room: Flora, Fauna, Sky, Water, and Rainbow. You can...