Gettin' Cozy with 15 Great Reads
Settle into your favorite chair, light your favorite scented candle, and relax. The "Gettin' Cozy" list is full of books to bring comfort and warmth to your social distancing. ...
Read MoreAdventure Pass Changes in 2025
Due to software issues affecting all libraries using the service, the Des Moines Public Library’s Iowa Adventure Pass program will no longer be available in 2025. Any reservation already made for 2025 will be honored, but we encourage anyone with a current reservation to print those passes immediately. Customers can make new reservations for passes that must be used by December 31, 2024. We hope to reintroduce the service at a later time, and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Blog Entries
Stay Laughing While Social Distancing: 13 Books to Read Right Now
We all need a laugh right now. A good book that fills your belly with laughter is the best kind of comfort food. Thankfully, our librarians have been busy filling up your plate and have book suggestions to keep your spirits up while home practicing social distancing. All are available on Libby. Reme...
Read MoreSeven Things to Watch on Kanopy Kids
Make extra screen time extra educational with Kanopy Kids, a video streaming service that’s free with your Des Moines Public Library card. Kanopy Kids includes hundreds of movies, TV shows, and read along books you’re your kids will love. The app is appropriate for children ages 2 and up, with ...
Read MoreThe Coronavirus and the Information You Need
The Des Moines Public Library will close all buildings until further notice, effective immediately. All programs at the Des Moines Public Library have been canceled through the end of May. The 2020 Authors Visiting in Des Moines (AViD) series has been postponed. Learn more about how you can us...
Read MoreBook Picks: Women's History Month
This month is Women's History Month, and International Women's Day was celebrated across the globe this past Sunday. To commemorate the occasion, library staff has compiled a list of books about inspiring and courageous women. Don't forget to also checkout the Strong Women of the Past and Present...
Read MoreThe Soul Food Festival at the Forest Avenue Library
On the first Saturday of every March, a line forms in the Forest Avenue Library outside the meeting room. As you walk inside, wondering what the hub-bub is all about, you may start getting wafts of chicken, beans, spices, and greens. You're in luck - you just walked into the annual Soul Food Fe...
Read MoreDMPL Podcast: Iowa Author Cheryl Mullenbach
Today on the podcast, we welcome Iowa author Cheryl Mullenbach. Cheryl has penned several books, including her newest, Stagecoach Women, which comes out next month. The book encompasses the expansive history of women in the old west, including drivers, bandits, gunslingers, and more. During the...
Read MoreWhat's New at DMPL - Winter 2020
It's time to give our patrons some updates on all the new additions we've made to our collection and buildings over the past several months. VOX Books: These are picture books that have a built-in audio player that reads the book to the reader. Each book has a narrator and page turning s...
Read MoreProject Des Moines
Take a glimpse at Des Moines history by checking out Project Des Moines, a digital directory of digestible tidbits dating back more than 150 years. Each story in Project Des Moines' directory features a short description of a building, organization, or landmark that once was a prominent part...
Read MoreDMPL Podcast: Iowa Author Nicole Baart
Iowa author Nicole Baart joins us on the DMPL Podcast today. She is the author of nine books, including her latest, You Were Always Mine. You Were Always Mine is a domestic suspense novel centered on a widow, her late husband's suspicious death, and the family she must hold together through her grie...
Read MoreBook Picks: Galentine's Day
Like Festivus or Friendsgiving, Galentine's Day started as a fake holiday on a television show (Parks and Recreation). In the past decade, it has become a popular real holiday in its own right, celebrating female friendship and platonic love. Taking place on February 13 (the day before Val...
Read MoreDMPL Podcast: Natalie Benson
The DMPL Podcast welcomes Natalie Benson to the show today. She will be hosting a five-week program at the Franklin Avenue Library titled A History of Modern Art. During the podcast, Benson discusses what exactly the nebulous that is modern art encompasses. She talks about well-known modern art...
Read MoreBlack History Month at the Library
We're thrilled to be celebrating Black History Month at the Des Moines Public Library throughout February. We're highlighting books by black authors and about black people throughout the month. We also have several events throughout the month celebrating black history, culture, and the future. ...
Read MorePlanning Your Reading Challenge
We're nearly one month through the 2020 Reading Challenge. We know our readers have made varying amounts of progress. Some of our most voracious readers have finished six or more of the twelve required books, while others are probably about midway through that first book right about now. I (Aaron...
Read MoreThe Oscars Book List
Hollywood’s biggest night is set after the nominations for the 92nd Academy Awards (aka the Oscars) were announced this week. If you prefer to read the book before you see the movie, there are a few books you’ll want to pick up from the library. We also have several DVDs of nominated movies for you ...
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