NBA Draft Pick Harrison Barnes Jump Starts Story Time at Ames Public Library

Basketball star Harrison Barnes, a local celebrity, helped the jump start its family craft story time with two readings on Thursday.

The children, who could barely reach Barnes' knee caps, didn't seem to be too sure who Barnes was, perhaps because he wore a tall red and white striped hat and his face was painted like a cat to match the character from the Doctor Seuss book he was about to read.

Barnes, currently a Golden State Warrior, spent the past week in Ames shooting promotional video for the City of Ames, making himself available to the Boys & Girls Club and finally reading stories to children to kick off the library's Family Craft Story time which begins next week.

“They think they know how to play basketball at this age,” said Librarian Jerri Heid, but she said that she wasn't sure if they understood just who was reading “The Cat in the Hat” to them.

“We're creating a memory that's what libraries are all about,” Heid said.

Barnes read and posed for photos with every child and adult who wanted one. He planned to read the “Little Engine that Could” at 7 p.m.

During a morning session, children listened attentively with some minor squirming.

Barnes could understand.

He spent several hours in the same library as a child.

He remembers his mother Shirley Barnes working on the computer. He would read one book before growing restless and work on his loose teeth, he said.

“I pulled out most of my teeth here,” Barnes said.

While young children were mostly in awe of Barnes near 7 foot frame, asking “Why are you so tall?” adults brimmed with admiration, excited to be in the presence of a star.

“It's neat to see someone from Ames who has made a name for themselves come back. A library makes a community a better place to be. It's good that he recognizes that,” said Sam Schill, of Ames, who watched Barnes since he played at Ames High School.

Divya Navi, an student, couldn't believe she was standing so close to a celebrity. Navi said she knew Barnes as a famous teen in a finance class, but she was a freshman and he was a junior.

Barnes didn't seem to notice the admiring glances, saying later that he feels like a normal guy in Ames.

“These people have seen me long before I was anything,” Barnes said. “It's fun to come back and see old faces.”

Barnes said he hoped to have an impact on the young children.

“A lot of them didn't see me play, but maybe it will stick with them that reading is fun,” Barnes said.

Heid hopes that children and people who came to the story times Thursday found it inspiring.

“They will see he was just a normal guy from Ames, Iowa and was able to play basketball and do great things. They will have this as an experience and aspire to achieve their dreams as well,” Heid said.