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DMPL Podcast: Book a Book Chat Librarian

Book Chat librarians Rebecca and Maddie join the DMPL Podcast to discuss Book Chat's newest service, Book a Book Chat Librarian. This service gives you the opportunity to have a librarian visit and chat with your book club, classroom, business, or other organization to discuss books and get reading ...

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Binge-then-Read: Twilight

Netflix recently re-released all five of the Twilight movies on their streaming platform. Some of our Book Chat librarians have been binge-watching, and they put together a stellar list of similar books that will transport you to places where vampires are real and creatures go bump in the night. ...

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Book Picks: Back to School

No matter your age, you can go back to schools this fall by reading these "Dark Academia" books. These books take place in schools and explore philosophy and existentialism - think the secret societies that exist in every school holding classes in a gothic building. Murder mysteries, magic, the para...

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DMPL Podcast: Terry Swails, author of 'Derecho 911'

On the one-year anniversary of the derecho that ripped through Iowa, meteorologist Terry Swails joins the DMPL Podcast to talk about Swails' newest book, Derecho 911. During the podcast, Swails recalls the events of that day and discusses what makes derechos so hard to predict. He also talks...

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It's Movie Night: Rent DVDs at the Library

When you need a movie for date night or family movie night, don’t spend all night scouring streaming services. Instead, check out the huge selection of DVDs at the Des Moines Public Library. The library has more than 15,000 titles across all our locations, from new releases to old classics. That’s m...

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Staff Spotlight: Brooklynn Jacobs-Lewis

There are many reasons parents might ground their children. But Brooklynn Jacobs-Lewis had a particularly unique problem as a kid. “I was too busy reading and wasn’t turning in my homework,” says Jacobs-Lewis. “My mom was constantly grounding me from the library.” It’s a fitting origin story f...

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DMPL Podcast: Graphic Novel Book Picks

Book Chat librarian Alissa joins host Aaron Gernes on the DMPL Podcast to discuss graphic novels. It's a great conversation about some of the wonderful graphic novels that have been released in recent years with something for people of all ages. Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Google Play&n...

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Binge-then-Read: Travel-Inspired Reads

Summer is in full swing, and while the world is starting to open up again we are dreaming of visiting far away lands. Our Book Chat librarian, Haley, recently finished watching, the popular trending Netflix show, The World's Most Amazing Vacation Rentals. In the show three travelers visit vacation r...

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Book Picks: "Dog" Days of Summer

The "Dog Days of Summer" are upon us. Usually the hottest time of year, it's also the perfect time of year for books about dogs (though is there ever a wrong time?) Check out these 12 children's books below and have fun during the "dog days" this year! ...

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You Say You Want a Revolution...

This weekend, our country celebrates Independence Day, marking the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the beginning of the Revolutionary War. The books picked below give you insight into revolutions and independence movements of all kinds, including the Boxer Rebellion in China, the Russ...

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DMPL Podcast: Pride Month Book Picks

On today's DMPL Podcast, librarian Rebecca Cloud, with the Book Chat team, provides some book picks for Pride Month.  Apple Podcasts/iTunes | Google Play | Spotify | Stitcher | Podbean | Download the episode | RSS
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Binge-then-Read: Summer Scares

For this edition of Binge-then-Read, our Book Chat team was inspired by the plethora of thriller and horror movies coming out this summer. Our expert librarians created this list of book recommendations, inspired by three anticipated summer scares hitting theaters soon: Old, Red Screening, ...

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LGBTQ+ Memoirs

Celebrate Pride and hear from members of the LGBTQ+ community and their family and friends about their experiences in their own words. Our Book Chat team has put together this list of memoirs that will make you laugh and cry while being both entertaining and insightful. ...

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