Library Blog
Posted on Sun, October 17, 2021 - 08:00pm
Looking for something new and different? This month's batch of NEW YA Fiction can be found on the shelves just off the adult fiction section. Come check one out!
Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
Sixteen-year-old dock boy Will is on the run, pursued by the men who killed his mother. Then an old servant…
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Thu, October 14, 2021 - 08:00pm
A Glimpse of Nature -- Gills & Pores
October 15, 2021
This week, let’s look at a few of the fungi that have been growing around the Ames Free Library. Rather, I should specify that we’ll be examining their fruiting bodies. After all, the inconspicuous mycelia of these fungi have been…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Wed, October 13, 2021 - 08:00pm
These books and movies are a scream! Click on any spooky cover image to learn more or place a hold through our catalog.
Spooky Staff Picks...
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, October 10, 2021 - 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!
Trail…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, October 07, 2021 - 08:00pm
A Glimpse of Nature - Fabulous Fungi Challenge
October 8, 2021
It’s been raining, and the fungi keep on coming. Now’s the time to join the AFL’s “Fabulous Fungi Challenge.”
Photograph three unusual fungi
Send your images to info@amesfreelibrary.org
Get rich, become famous . . . maybe win a…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, October 03, 2021 - 08:00pm
If you're a fantasy fan, you'll want to grab one of the newest additions to our collection - Adventures in Thousandworld: the Darkenstar by Joseph A. Davis. We have three copies currently available in Youth Services. Check one out!
This coming Saturday, October 9, at 11 AM, we'll tune in on Zoom…
Category: Youth Services, Kids, Teen
Posted on Thu, September 30, 2021 - 08:00pm
See what’s happening on the grounds of the Ames Free Library or nearby areas with “A Glimpse of Nature.” Offered by Lorraine Rubinacci, the library's resident naturalist, this weekly photo blog is a gentle reminder to enjoy the wonders that surround us.
A Glimpse of Nature - "A Woodland…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, September 30, 2021 - 08:00pm
Happy Fall! Thanks for stopping by the Librarian’s Lounge this month. September brought me some excellent books and tasty treats. I’m excited to share them with you today, but I want to hear from you, too! Did you read a book last month that I should add to my TBR? Did a book or resource from AFL…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, September 23, 2021 - 08:00pm
Banned Books Week (September 26 - October 2, 2021) is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. It spotlights current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. It brings together the entire book community — librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers,…
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Thu, September 23, 2021 - 08:00pm
A Glimpse of Nature -- Mantids
September 24, 2021
Two observers have shared photos of mantises living in Queset Garden. One was taken in late July; the other in late August. The most striking aspect of both images is the animals’ highly-effective camouflage.
Courtesy: Brian Woodward
I cropped…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Tue, September 21, 2021 - 08:00pm
It's the autumnal equinox, and the Ames Free Library staff is ready to recommend some good books! These titles are all excellent choices this season, whether you're pulling up a cozy chair, stretching out on the couch with a blanket, or plopping into a pile of leaves! Click on any book cover to…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, September 19, 2021 - 08:00pm
We’ve purchased some new additions to our Graphic Novel and Manga collections! If you have any suggestions or series you’d like to see, please email teens@amesfreelibrary.org and let us know.
Fence by C.S. Pacat
Nicholas, the illegitimate son of a retired fencing champion, is a scrappy fencing…
Category: Youth Services, Teen
Posted on Thu, September 16, 2021 - 08:00pm
A Glimpse of Nature -- A New Twist
September 17, 2021
Last week I lamented the difficulty of photographing night-singing insects. Whenever I approached, they became silent and “disappeared” into the dark foliage. . . until I walked away. Well, not long after I completed the post on “Night Music…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, September 12, 2021 - 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, September 09, 2021 - 08:00pm
See what’s happening on the grounds of the Ames Free Library or nearby areas with “A Glimpse of Nature.” Offered by Lorraine Rubinacci, the library's resident naturalist, this weekly photo blog is a gentle reminder to enjoy the wonders that surround us.
A Glimpse of Nature - "Night Music"…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, September 02, 2021 - 08:00pm
See what’s happening on the grounds of the Ames Free Library or nearby areas with “A Glimpse of Nature.” Offered by Lorraine Rubinacci, the library's resident naturalist, this weekly photo blog is a gentle reminder to enjoy the wonders that surround us.
A Glimpse of Nature - "Listen to the…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Tue, August 31, 2021 - 08:00pm
What I'm Reading
Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland
The golden days of the Golden Hotel are a thing of the past. Once the shining glory of the Catskills, the resort is slowly and steadily falling apart. Prompted by an offer to sell, three generations of the Goldman and Weingold…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, August 26, 2021 - 08:00pm
See what’s happening on the grounds of the Ames Free Library or nearby areas with “A Glimpse of Nature.” Offered by Lorraine Rubinacci, the library's resident naturalist, this weekly photo blog is a gentle reminder to enjoy the wonders that surround us.
A Glimpse of Nature - "Jewelweed"
I am…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Fri, August 20, 2021 - 08:00pm
It's the best time of year to hit the beach with a good beach read! Smell the salt air with these titles, all of which come highly recommended by the staff at the Ames Free Library. Click on any book cover and get directed to the AFL catalog to learn more or place a hold.
Best Beach Reads
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, August 19, 2021 - 08:00pm
See what’s happening on the grounds of the Ames Free Library or nearby areas with “A Glimpse of Nature.” Offered by Lorraine Rubinacci, the library's resident naturalist, this weekly photo blog is a gentle reminder to enjoy the wonders that surround us.
A Glimpse of Nature - "Cottontail"
A…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, August 12, 2021 - 08:00pm
Back next Friday, August 20.
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Sun, August 08, 2021 - 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!
…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, August 05, 2021 - 08:00pm
See what’s happening on the grounds of the Ames Free Library or nearby areas with “A Glimpse of Nature.” Offered by Lorraine Rubinacci, the library's resident naturalist, this weekly photo blog is a gentle reminder to enjoy the wonders that surround us.
A Glimpse of Nature - "Chicory"
Roses…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, July 29, 2021 - 08:00pm
See what’s happening on the grounds of the Ames Free Library or nearby areas with “A Glimpse of Nature.” Offered by Lorraine Rubinacci, the library's resident naturalist, this weekly photo blog is a gentle reminder to enjoy the wonders that surround us.
A Glimpse of Nature - "Field Trip"…
Category: Staff Picks
Posted on Thu, July 22, 2021 - 08:00pm
See what’s happening on the grounds of the Ames Free Library or nearby areas with “A Glimpse of Nature.” Offered by Lorraine Rubinacci, the library's resident naturalist, this weekly photo blog is a gentle reminder to enjoy the wonders that surround us.
A Glimpse of Nature - "Black Raspberry…
Category: Staff Picks