Library Blog

Posted on Fri, March 01, 2024 - 01:34pm
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?…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: 2024 Reading Challenge, Book Recommendations, Adult Book Recommendations
Posted on Thu, February 29, 2024 - 02:16pm
  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…
Posted on Thu, February 01, 2024 - 05:09pm
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…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: 2024 Reading Challenge, Book Recommendations, Adult Book Recommendations
Posted on Thu, January 04, 2024 - 09:29am
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…
Posted on Wed, January 03, 2024 - 12:34pm
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.…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: Book Recommendations, Adult Book Recommendations, 2024 Reading Challenge
Posted on Thu, December 28, 2023 - 05:09pm
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…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: Book Recommendations, Adult Book Recommendations, 2024 Reading Challenge
Posted on Sat, October 28, 2023 - 12:30pm
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…
Posted on Sat, October 28, 2023 - 11:16am
It contains the same content as the blog but with a more attractive layout and less searching. Subscribe here for an easy way to find our photo essays.  Follow the link, checkmark the correct box, and click “submit.”  To ensure your privacy, you may be asked to update your preferences. Please…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Wed, October 04, 2023 - 07:00pm
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…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Mon, October 02, 2023 - 07:00pm
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…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Fri, September 29, 2023 - 07:00pm
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…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Wed, September 20, 2023 - 07:00pm
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…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Fri, September 15, 2023 - 07:00pm
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 “…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Fri, September 08, 2023 - 07:00pm
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…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Fri, September 01, 2023 - 07:00pm
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!
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Fri, August 25, 2023 - 07:00pm
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…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Fri, August 18, 2023 - 07:00pm
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!  
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Fri, August 11, 2023 - 07:00pm
The library welcomes everyone; well, almost everyone.  Last week, I escorted a young visitor to the door . . . and a little beyond.  This individual was certainly charming and, for all I know, well-mannered, but the relationship just wasn’t “a good fit.”  I hope it will settle down in the nearby…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Sat, August 05, 2023 - 07:00pm
Congratulations to Joyce F. for correctly identifying last week’s “What Is It!” on the Ames Free Library’s Facebook page.  This surrealistic creature is, indeed, a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar.  From this angle, the caterpillar has a giant head with intimidating eyes.   We are looking at…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Fri, July 28, 2023 - 07:00pm
This week’s mystery creature seems to ask, “Who are you looking at?”  If you think you know, email your identification to lrubinacci@amesfreelibrary.org.  Next Friday, we’ll reveal its name and behavior.
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Wed, July 19, 2023 - 07:00pm
Babytime is moving inside for the rest of the summer!  Between the UV rays, heat, humidity, and air quality, storytime attendees and Miss Hannah have decided to make the switch and hold Babytime in the Children’s Room. We’ll still meet on Wednesdays at 10:30am for songs, rhymes, scarves, and…
Category: Kids, Youth Services
Posted on Wed, July 19, 2023 - 07:00pm
So, who saw a monocot this week?  I guarantee you all did, whether or not you were paying attention or taking my assignment seriously.  I chose the orange daylily, Hemerocallis fulva, to introduce the subject because it has large flowers, is familiar to most readers, and is conspicuous at the Ames…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Mon, July 17, 2023 - 07:00pm
Have you wanted to join a book club but can’t find the time to make it to a meeting? Check out the Big Library Read hosted by OverDrive! From now through July 27, 2023, you can borrow an eBook or audiobook of A Very Typical Family by Sierra Godfrey through the OverDrive website or your Libby app.…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: Big Library Read
Posted on Fri, July 14, 2023 - 07:00pm
The Missouri Botanical Garden describes the daylily as “A tough plant that is tolerant of poor soil, summer heat and humidity.”  Our recent high temperatures and frequent showers may be challenging to humans, but the daylilies at the Ames Free Library have bloomed with exuberance.  Each July, they…
Category: Staff Picks
Tags: A Glimpse of Nature
Posted on Fri, July 07, 2023 - 07:00pm
Daylilies are splashy, easy-to-recognize flowers.  We might take them for granted simply because they are so familiar.  This week, I encourage you to look closely at the entire plant and find a different species with similar features.  Here are a few characteristics to notice: –leaves with…
Category: Staff Picks