What are the opening hours?

Monday 9am - 9pm Tuesday 9am - 9pm Wednesday 9am - 9pm Thursday 9am - 9pm Friday 9am - 6pm Saturday 9am - 6pm Sunday 1pm - 5pm

Ames Public Library

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Ames Public Library

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10/30/2026

Pawns & Bishops & Rooks, oh my! Which chess piece is your favorite? ♟♝♜

Kids in grades 1-5 are invited to a free Kids Chess Club at the Library. Beginners and experts alike are welcome to learn how to play or make new friends.

📅 1st and 3rd Tuesday of Each Month
November 3 and 17
4pm, Storytime Room

10/30/2026

Get ready for November's first few book groups! 📚

🕵️‍♂️ Mystery Lovers Book Group
Wednesday, November 4, at 12pm
Mysteries by Phillip Margolin

📖 028: Real Reads Book Group
Thursday, November 12, at 7pm
"Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks" by Crystal Wilkinson

Find all of our book groups and much more at www.AmesPL.org/events

Ames Public Library Friends Foundation

10/29/2026

Get ready to write on the wild side! ✒️

Ames Public Library will host Inkathon write-in events every Tuesday in November from 6-8pm. Come to as many as you like!

Inkathon is a writing challenge in November where you set your own writing goal to push yourself to write as many words as you can.

These free events are presented in partnership with Central Iowa Authors.

CIA Inkwell

10/29/2026

Jump scares and horror films aren't for everyone. 😱 But have you tried reading Gothic or horror books?

We have some haunting suggestions for you, and they're perfect for the "12 to Try" theme of the month!

🎬 See the video at https://youtu.be/cAmvBF-lwTM

You can also find recommendations for this month's featured 12 to Try category in the display on the Library's second floor or online at https://www.amespubliclibrary.org/12toTry

Ames Public Library Friends Foundation

10/27/2026

Who's ready for a no-school-Monday fun day! 🎉

Children in grades K-5 are invited to No School Day at the Library:
Monday, November 2
1pm, Storytime Room

We take advantage of no-school days to create, experiment, and play with a variety of activities. This month, we'll celebrate fall with pine cone crafts. 🌲🍂✂

10/27/2026

Curious about volunteering at the Library? Need volunteer service hours?

📆 Join us for Drop-In Volunteering:
Monday, November 2
from 10-11am

Projects will vary from dusting shelves to processing materials and more.

10/25/2026

It's almost time for Trick-or-Treating! 🎃

🍬 We'll have candy for trick-or-treaters all Friday, October 30, from 9am to 6pm.

📙 In addition, during Downtown Ames Trick-or-Treat event (10am-1pm), Altrusa of Ames will give out free books for young children in our lobby (while supplies last).

To help families celebrate the season, our October 30 Storybook STEM and October 31 Family Storytime will be Halloween themed.

Stop by for some BOOks 👻, stories, and treats!

10/24/2026

We're 2 weeks away from the annual Author Fair! 🎉

Stop by Ames Public Library on Saturday, November 7, between 2 and 5pm to meet a variety of local authors, chat, and buy some books.

10/23/2026

Are your little ones eager for some Halloween fun?

Ames Public Library will be at Malloween at North Grand Mall on Wednesday, October 28, from 4:30-6:30pm. We hope to see you there!

Story County Reads United Way of Story County

10/22/2026

Throwback Thursday to the National Book Festival exactly 2 months ago in Washington, D.C!

Sheila and Bri shared Iowa's 2026 Great Reads from Great Places with visitors.

Jill Esbaum's "It's Corn Picking Time" 🌽 inspired the corny decorations, and our "Romance Readers" stickers were popular with soon-to-be fans of Denise Williams's "The Re-do List." 💗

Read all about Iowa's 2026 Great Reads picks at https://www.AmesPL.org/IowaCenterForTheBook

The Library of Congress

Address

515 Douglas Avenue
Ames, IA
50010

Opening Hours

Monday	9am - 9pm
Tuesday	9am - 9pm
Wednesday	9am - 9pm
Thursday	9am - 9pm
Friday	9am - 6pm
Saturday	9am - 6pm
Sunday	1pm - 5pm

Website

http://www.amespubliclibrary.org/

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