Madeline Miele Holt has retired as director of the Ames Free Library and has been succeeded by Uma Hiremath, who had been assistant director. “I just love being here. This is just one of those spectacularly beautiful buildings,” Hiremath said of the Henry Hobson Richardson design. Holt was with the public library for more than 14 years, and had been director since 2008. She oversaw the transition from its focus on printed materials to the library’s current range of electronic offerings and public activities, as well as an extensive renovation completed this year. Hiremath has been with the library for four years. The library, which is supported by an endowment and by town funds, was a finalist this year in the Library Journal’s Best Small Libraries in America contest.