The Ames Free Library will be closed on Monday, April 15 in observance of Patriots' Day.
Library Blog
Posted on Thu, March 17, 2022 - 08:00pm
March 18, 2022.
Announcement!
I will be offering “Trees in Early Spring” on Monday, March 21 at 2:30. This 1-hour nature walk around the library’s property will provide guidance and practice in tree identification. Learn some interesting facts about our local trees and develop skills to wow your…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, March 16, 2022 - 08:00pm
In late 2021, Vladimir Putin began deploying masses of Russian troops around Ukraine. However, as of Thursday, February 24, 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine along multiple points after various diplomatic entities tried to avert such a crisis. This was the formal ignition of the Russian invasion on…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, March 13, 2022 - 08:00pm
Ever been curious what your neighbors are reading or watching? Here are just some of their suggestions! As we receive more recommendations, we'll post them here on the AFL Blog.
If you would like to suggest something you've loved to your neighbors, fill out our Your Neighbors Recommend form!
The…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, March 10, 2022 - 07:00pm
March 11, 2022
The first week of our “Nature’s Rhythms” activity will end at midnight. Thanks to everyone who has participated. Keep up the good work!
Between March 5th and 11th, several phenomena drew reader’s attention including the activity of raptors and the emergence of garden bulbs. …
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, March 03, 2022 - 07:00pm
I look forward to long weekend walks when there is adequate daylight and no need to rush. Last Saturday’s excursion at an abandoned cranberry bog didn’t disappoint. The sun was shining, and crusty snow still covered the ground. Animal tracks were everywhere, tracks that had repeatedly melted and…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, February 24, 2022 - 07:00pm
Winter in New England means short days, cold weather, dormant plants, changes in animal behavior, and snow – yes, more snow! This season also offers a distinctive and very beautiful night sky. I know winter has arrived when Orion reappears in the heavens.
Orion Over Oakes Ames Hall, February 23…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, February 23, 2022 - 07:00pm
Storytimes will continue to meet inside at the Queset House until the weather improves. As we stay cozy inside for these next few weeks, please be aware of our latest guidelines:
Space is limited and registration is required. Read your confirmation email carefully to check your status as fully…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, February 17, 2022 - 07:00pm
This week started out cold, with single digit mornings in my neighborhood. These low temperatures, in conjunction with some other favorable conditions, created one of my favorite winter phenomena. My first view of the world on Tuesday morning was this:
Window Frost on February 15, 2022
Elegant…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, February 13, 2022 - 07:00pm
Ever been curious what your neighbors are reading or watching? Here are just some of their suggestions! As we receive more recommendations, we'll post them here on the AFL Blog.
If you would like to suggest something you've loved to your neighbors, fill out our Your Neighbors Recommend form!…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, February 10, 2022 - 07:00pm
Today is a mild, sunny day, one of those days when the library patrons are smiling and the birds are singing. It’s quite a contrast to last Friday’s ice storm which challenged anyone who ventured (or lived) outdoors. The day after the storm, I was stepping gingerly through the library’s ice-…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Mon, February 07, 2022 - 07:00pm
I began my last post talking about the snowstorm that was heading our way. That storm turned out to be just an appetizer for the one that dumped over two feet of snow on the area just before we turned the calendars to February. If you don’t mind venturing out in the snow and ice (and it’s safe for…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, February 03, 2022 - 07:00pm
“Trees in Winter” was a “before” quiz, an assessment of what you already know or can aim to learn. It limited the selection of trees to those living at the Ames Free Library, a manageable group growing on a small, easily-traversed property. I hope that their names and images will stay in your mind…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, January 27, 2022 - 07:00pm
When the leaves fell off this young tree, they left large heart-shaped leaf scars with buds nestled above them. These scars and buds offer clues to a leafless tree’s identity, as do those little speckles called lenticels. To familiarize yourself with some of these features, try our “Trees in…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Tue, January 25, 2022 - 07:00pm
Now that we're a couple of months into winter storytimes, we are really getting into our routines! We're still looking ahead to lovely weather and to moving back outside, but in the meantime, please remember these guidelines:
Space is limited and registration is required. Registration will open…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, January 20, 2022 - 07:00pm
Winter is a great time to learn how to recognize trees, now that all those leaves are out of the way! Bark, buds, and the tree's shape offer helpful clues. Why not try your hand at tree identification by playing our "Trees in Winter" game? This illustrated multiple choice quiz is centered on…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, January 13, 2022 - 07:00pm
If you are familiar with poison ivy, you probably think of it when it is green and leafy as in this photo from Queset Garden:
Young Poison Ivy Plant, June 25, 2020
This is to be expected since we humans spend more time outside in warm weather, when long days and summer vacations provide…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, January 09, 2022 - 07:00pm
There's nothing better than working together!
Last month, we put out a huge sticker mosaic in Youth Services for everyone to work on. It took up our entire central work table, and everyone who came in had the opportunity to add a sticker (or 10!). Each square on the page had a letter, and each…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Sun, January 09, 2022 - 07:00pm
Ever been curious what your neighbors are reading or watching? Here are just some of their suggestions! As we receive more recommendations, we'll post them here on the AFL Blog.
If you would like to suggest something you've loved to your neighbors, fill out our Your Neighbors Recommend form!
A…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, January 06, 2022 - 07:00pm
As I’m writing this, the first big snowstorm of the season is heading our way. I’d be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to it. After all, a snowstorm is a perfect excuse to curl up with a cup of tea and a good book!
But it’s not all cozy winter reading over here. A new year means planning…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, January 06, 2022 - 07:00pm
If you close your eyes and picture evergreens, I suspect that your mind’s eye will recall something like this...
...pyramidal trees with needles. The dwarf Alberta spruce that was highlighted in a recent post exemplifies this form, one that is typical of coniferous trees. Not all evergreens…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, December 30, 2021 - 07:00pm
Do you like hot cocoa, snuggly kittens, new friends, and dragonfruit? OF COURSE you do! How about frozen boogers, being told "no", stinky ghost burps, and even stinkier durian fruit? Maybe not so much? We don't blame you. But hey, don't knock it 'til you try reading about it...
The books we talked…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Wed, December 29, 2021 - 07:00pm
Houseguests are commonplace during the holiday season – at least they were prior to the coronavirus. While most guests receive invitations, a few unexpected visitors may take up residence in your space. Here’s one who usually arrives in autumn with the intention of spending the winter.
This…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Tue, December 28, 2021 - 07:00pm
It’s getting to be that time of year in New England…
The weather outside might be frightful, but the Ames Free Library is here to keep you entertained throughout winter 2022. One way we’re bringing some fun your way is with Winter BINGO! From January 3 through March 21, readers of all ages can join…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, December 22, 2021 - 07:00pm
“Christmas Means Cranberries” . . . at least that’s what an Ocean Spray advertisement in Ladies Home Journal proclaimed in 1947.
“Christmas Means Cranberries,” SAILS Digital History Collections
Like many Americans, I enjoy eating cranberries year round, but, I’ll admit, that the fruit and…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Mon, December 20, 2021 - 07:00pm
Take a look at these sparkling standouts! Click to link below to learn about some of the best books AFL staff read in 2021. Click on any book cover and get directed to the AFL catalog to learn more or place a hold.
AFL 2021 Staff Favorites
Category: Staff Picks