Library Blog

November/December 2024   Marie Wisz on the wall   Art always interested me and was my favorite subject in elementary school. At age 12, I enjoyed observing my friend’s dad as he painted still life paintings from setups in his studio and was very excited when he allowed me to paint my own…

September/October 2024   Ines Smrz on the wall   I have been a professional artist for over twenty-five years. My life-long interest in color and design was influenced by my grandmother, who would take me for long walks in my native city of Santiago, Chile. I began my professional art career…

Hey readers! Are you signed up for AFL’s summer reading program yet? We have programs for all ages with great incentives to keep you reading all summer long. Get signed up today! And if you need a break from your book, be sure to join us for our Family Garden Shows and Queset Garden Concert Series…

  July/August 2024 Gene Jacobs on the wall Artist Gene Jacobs writes: I was a founding member of the Easton Art Gallery; I have done many workshops/showings in local libraries, camps, offices, and more. In July, I will be celebrating with you Christmas in July, The Elf on the Shelf exhibit.…

Hey readers! We’ve officially hit summer reading season! Whether you’re reading at the beach, on a plane, or just in your own backyard, be sure to join AFL’s summer reading program. We have programs for kids, teens, and adults with great incentives to keep you reading all summer long. And if you…

Hey readers! Sometimes a story can’t be told with words alone. Use this month’s challenge to explore stories told through words and images! May’s challenge is: A graphic novel New to this challenge hosted by Mass Center for the Book? You can learn more about the challenge from our introductory…

  On the Wall, Fine Art & Photography, Linda Clary   My passion for the natural world is reflected in most of my paintings and photographs. I often look for the tranquil stillness and the spiritual serenity in a landscape. I recognize that the beauty of God’s natural creation has a healing…

Hey readers! Spring is in the air and so are the proverbial April showers. Celebrate the new season and Earth Day with this month’s challenge theme. April’s challenge is: A book about nature, the environment, or climate change New to this challenge hosted by Mass Center for the Book? You can…

Hey readers! As we get ready to turn the clocks ahead and count down the final days to spring, it’s time to kick off a new month in the Mass Center for the Book Reading Challenge. March’s challenge is: A book whose protagonist has a different culture or lifestyle from you New to the challenge?…

  In the Glass Case: Maker of Baskets and Chairs, Mary Lu Love     I discovered my artistic skills thanks to my grandsons. I started by making Easter baskets; actually, I ended up making four, as I wanted to improve the results. I loved the mathematics  of calculating the needed materials and…

Hey readers! Feeling blue about the winter weather? The grass may be greener (or at least not covered in a layer of white) in warmer climates, but the yellow, pink, and purple of spring flowers is right around the corner. Keep all those colorful thoughts in mind for this month’s Mass Center for…

On the Wall, Painter, Carol Schigg Carol Schigg on the Wall   My name is Carol Schigg. I have resided in Easton for the past 50 years and have raised my family here. I graduated from Bridgewater University and obtained my Master’s Degree in Social Work from Rhode Island College. I worked as a…

Hey readers! We hope you’re as excited to join the 2024 Reading Challenge as we are. You can learn more about the challenge from our previous blog post or the challenge website. Each month, we’ll be sharing some suggested titles on our blog, social media channels, and in displays at the library.…

The Ames Free Library is excited to be a reading partner for the 2024 Reading Challenge hosted by the Massachusetts Center for the Book. This 12 month, 12 book challenge features a different prompt for every month of the year. Participating is as easy as 1, 2, 3! Choose a book that fits the…

On the Wall, Fine Art, Cynthia Carmichael   Cynthia Carmichael on the Wall Cynthia Carmichael earned her BFA from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design and worked in the fields of Therapeutic Recreation and Art Education. She is a representational artist who strives to capture the beauty of…

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Guess what!  More rain is forecast for this weekend. If you are tempted to stay indoors on gray, gloomy days, I urge you to reconsider.  I often feel this way until I actually get outside.  On one recent Sunday, I donned my rain gear in low spirits, anticipating a dull outing.  Then, as usual, I…

October 1 - 7 is Banned Books Week, an annual event to celebrate the freedom to read and shine a light on efforts to remove or restrict access to books across the country. The number of books being targeted for removal or restricted access in school or public library collections skyrocketed to…

The Ames Free Library’s top nocturnal visitors – deer, rabbit, and fox – are common suburban animals, which might lead one to assume that this particular combination of mammals prevails throughout Southeastern Massachusetts.  Not necessarily.  Let’s look at my backyard for comparison. Like most…

Besides deer, who else visits the library after dark?  Of course, people and pet dogs use the grounds, but our focus is on wildlife.  Unfortunately, my trail cam has detected only a few wild species in this area.  Based on image captures, the second most common nocturnal mammal is the cottontail…

On June 29 I installed the trail cam behind Queset Garden and hoped for the best.  My first set of photos included this image which encouraged me to continue.  Can you identify this animal?  Send your ideas to lrubinacci@amesfreelibrary.org.  Next time, we’ll see a video clip of this creature and “…

No doubt about it!  White-tailed deer dominate the library’s nightlife.  They are the largest mammalian visitors to the library campus and, based on my trail cam’s videos, the most frequent.  Indeed, deer appeared in 92% of all nighttime animal videos captured by my camera.     It’s hardly a…

Who visits the library campus after dark?  Submit your thoughts on the most frequent mammalian visitors to lrubinacci@amesfreelibrary.org. Then, check back next Friday to see what my new trail cam recorded!

Last week, several readers correctly pinpointed California as the home of my giant pinecone.   “Terrific!,” I thought, “These folks traveled to the northern Sierras where they saw the same wonderful trees I did:  sugar pines.”  But, no.  At least two readers who visited southern California…

Where do pine cones grow this large?  Identify the species and its location by sending an email to lrubinacci@amesfreelibrary.org.  Hint:  It’s not Easton!