Library Blog
Posted on Tue, September 13, 2022 - 08:00pm
Welcome to AFL Staff Stories! Every month we'll introduce you (or REintroduce you!) to a different member of the AFL Staff and tell you a little about their favorites.
This month, meet AFL's Reference & Information Services Librarian, Marina Guo. Click here for Marina's stories.
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, September 07, 2022 - 08:00pm
Last week’s “What Is It!” did not occur at the Ames Free Library. This handsome trio needs more elbow room than Queset Garden offers.
Then again, the locale wasn’t the Serengeti, the Great Plains, or some other distant land. These impressive birds were grazing at a hayfield along my daily…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, September 01, 2022 - 08:00pm
Three mystery birds are the stars of this week’s “What Is It!” Think you know this bird? Submit your ID to A Glimpse of Nature. If you have ever seen this species, please share your experience as well. Next week’s post will tell the story behind this photo…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, August 25, 2022 - 08:00pm
Beyond Queset Garden, past the reflecting pool and hedgerows, is a “neglected” area that provides safe haven for plants and animals. This densely-vegetated thicket offers shelter to the cottontail rabbits, the woodchuck, and the garter snake. Bird songs emanate from this spot, dragonflies cruise…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, August 21, 2022 - 08:00pm
Things have been busy since my last post! We made it through two heat waves and the library has been in full swing with all of our summer events and the summer reading program. If you’re reading this before August 27, there’s still time to log your reading and earn points to spend on raffle tickets…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, August 17, 2022 - 08:00pm
For those of you who avoided our recent dragonfly quiz, and for those who played the game but felt uneasy, here is an observation primer. As with all new subjects, it takes time to get one’s bearings, but there are some easily observable aspects of appearance and behavior that can point you in…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, August 14, 2022 - 08:00pm
Welcome to AFL Staff Stories! Every month we'll introduce you (or REintroduce you!) to a different member of the AFL Staff and tell you a little about their favorites.
This month, meet AFL's Youth Services Librarian, Hannah Paul. Click here for Hannah's stories.
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, August 11, 2022 - 08:00pm
Here’s the latest news.
Part 1: The Robin.
If you recall, last Friday a dramatic thunderstorm passed through our region. It began to sprinkle as I headed to my car; soon there was a deluge. As I readied myself for the commute, I looked towards the robin’s nest and wondered how it would fare…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, August 07, 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, August 04, 2022 - 08:00pm
As I was watering the library’s tomatoes and fall greens, I spotted a small object just outside the entrance. It was new, and its color stood out from the gray and pink masonry.
Here’s a closer look.
“What Is It!”
A handful of Massachusetts birds lay small, unmarked blue eggs. These include…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, July 28, 2022 - 08:00pm
Dragonflies have been among the library’s most conspicuous animals during July – if you’ve been outside long enough to notice them! This summer’s scorching heat sometimes leaves me immobilized, but the dragonflies, and their relatives, the damselflies, keep on going. In fact, they need warmth and…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, July 20, 2022 - 08:00pm
I’ve always enjoyed wrestling with a project – asking questions, making observations, doing research, testing ideas – digging deeper. This temperament and habit informs my natural history study, my writing . . . my lesson plans, garden, home repairs, meals, and just about every creative undertaking…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Mon, July 18, 2022 - 08:00pm
Welcome to AFL Staff Stories! Every month we'll introduce you (or REintroduce you!) to a different member of the AFL Staff and tell you a little about their favorites.
This month, meet AFL's Head of Reference & Adult Services, Megan Tully. Click here for Megan's stories.
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, July 14, 2022 - 08:00pm
On a quiet June afternoon, I was scouting the grounds to see what might be seen and, truth be told, hoping to get another look at the painted turtle . . . or any turtle, for that matter. I didn’t. It was about about six o’clock when I circled back towards the pergola, close to the bocce court, when…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, July 10, 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, July 07, 2022 - 08:00pm
Hello Gardeners,
We have a winner for the first round of The Great Seed Experiment! Congratulations to Connor, Nathan, and Trenton Forth (and their parents) for winning the prize for “Sprouting Reports and Documentation.” They not only created an amazing backyard garden, they also documented and…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, July 06, 2022 - 08:00pm
Welcome to the special summer reading edition of the Librarian’s Lounge! I wrote a little bit about the preparations for the program last month, but now that summer reading is officially underway, I wanted to share some tips to make your summer of reading the best it can be.
Stock up on books!
This…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, June 30, 2022 - 08:00pm
When was the last time you saw a turtle? Where was it and what was it doing?
Perhaps it was swimming in a local pond or perched on a muddy bank ready to slip into the water in response to a perceived threat.
Painted Turtle, June 27, 2021, Halifax
The inland turtles of Massachusetts have…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Tue, June 28, 2022 - 08:00pm
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, back in the Fall of 2019, I found a slightly mangy, decidedly grumpy, and hugely adorable bear…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 23, 2022 - 08:00pm
If you brought home seeds from the library this spring -- and planted them -- now's the time to report your rate of germination. The "Sprouting Report" has three easy questions, and one of them is your name! Submit the report online here, or stop by the library to complete a paper form.…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Mon, June 20, 2022 - 08:00pm
Most visitors to the Ames Free Library know and love Queset Garden’s reflecting pool which is a lovely spot to visit in all seasons.
Reflecting Pool at Queset Garden
As we’ve previously noted, the reflecting pool supports a robust population of American toad tadpoles throughout the spring.…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, June 16, 2022 - 08:00pm
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 check off at least one square on each card by reading a book from the list on the back of your bingo…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 16, 2022 - 08:00pm
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 check off at least one square on each card by reading a book from the list on the back of your bingo…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 16, 2022 - 08:00pm
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 check off at least one square on each card by reading a book from the list on the back of your bingo…
Category: Youth Services, Kids
Posted on Thu, June 16, 2022 - 08:00pm
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 check off at least one square on each card by reading a book from the list on the back of your bingo…
Category: Youth Services, Kids