Ames Free Library is excited to share Easton’s Tricentennial year with our community! 2025 is sure to be a good one - and this year, we’re coming out in the community to meet you where you are! Read more about any of the events below, where we hope to continue to be the place Where the Community Connects… at home and out on the town.
2025 is the culmination of our 300 Years, 300 Stories project! The goal of this oral history project is to collect YOUR stories about Easton. Learn more about the project, how to record, or hear other people’s stories here. If you need a little encouragement to tell your story, come to one or more of these workshops.
Easton author Lisa Braxton is offering a trio of workshops focused on leaving your legacy and telling your own story. Dates will be announced shortly. Register for one or register for all three!
Legacy Letters: A Way to be Remembered and Share Your Life Lessons
Legacy letters can strengthen the ties between generations. In this workshop, we will delve into the history of legacy letters, how they are structured, and the top reasons for writing one. We will do short writing exercises to stimulate ideas, with some high-level guidance on craft elements that make legacy letters not just compelling, but great sources for longer material. You can expect to leave the session with the beginnings of a legacy letter and inspired to turn your own legacy into concrete ideas for further writing.
Crafting the 5-minute Memoir
Continue your writing journey in this session. Create a personal essay that can be read in around 5 to 10 minutes. This mini-memoir is perfect for sharing with the 300 Years, 300 Stories project, as well as sharing with your family and loved ones.
Storytelling: from the Stage to the Page
This third and final workshop offers a chance to hear other people’s stories and see how they translate from live tellings to written ones. The group will view short videos of people onstage telling a story from their life, which serve as inspiration for the class to write a short piece from their life.
It’s Your Story - Tell It! with Rona Leventhal: Thursday, March 13, at 6:00 PM
Learn how to craft your own story with professional storyteller Rona Leventhal. Once you’ve identified some story kernels, record one (out loud or on paper) for the 300 Years, 300 Stories project! This workshop is sponsored by the Friends of the Ames Free Library.
Storytelling Luncheon: various dates
Gather with friends and neighbors to share a meal and reflect on your favorite Easton stories and memories. Staff from the Ames Free Library will be on hand to record stories for the 300 Years, 300 Stories project. Hosted by Unity Church in partnership with the Ames Free Library and Easton 300.
AFL's Tricentennial Book Club will meet six times in 2025. We have partnered with popular and historic locations around Easton to experience our town with you in a different light! Join AFL librarians to discuss books at following notable locations:
- January 22: Shovel Town Brewery
- March 20: Simpson Spring
- May 6: Sheep Pasture (NRT)
- July: Town Pool
- September: Hilliards
- November: Langwater Farm
Book titles have been selected to coordinate with the primary focus of each location. Each meeting will also feature a related activity or demonstration following the book discussion. Meetings and activities are free unless otherwise noted.
Book Club participants must register for each event. Space is limited at each location. Group size may vary depending on book availability and location size. Only registered patrons may attend a session. Books will be available to check out at the library’s Circulation Desk thirty days prior to the meeting.
AFL will also be in attendance at some of our town's Signature events. Come visit us during the Arts & Culture festival in April, with craft activities in both our Children’s Room and Queset House. You can also find us at the Flag Day Picnic, Concert, & Flag Ceremony in June, and the Block Party in September. Toss a round of cornhole with us, record a memory for the 300 Years, 300 Stories collection, make a craft, or just find out more about the library! Look for the AFL logo under our blue tent.
These programs and events are all presented in partnership with Easton 300 and the Tricentennial Committee.