Upcoming Events

Listen to silly stories, sing songs, dance to music, and make art! Join us at Forest Avenue Library for Family Storytime every Wednesday morning at 10:15 A.M.

Join Miss Donna for this fun filled story time! Together we will enjoy stories, songs, and more, all selected to engage your active toddler. Ages 18 months to 3 years old.

Earn volunteer hours by helping out with library programs and projects! Teens ages 12 to 18 can drop in any Wednesday we are open and volunteer for one hour.

If you're between the ages of 12-18 and looking for a fun and rewarding volunteer opportunity, give the library a try! We would love to have your help!

Children ages 3 to 5 and their caregivers can join us Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. for a 30-minute storytime with stories, music, and fun activities!

Join us at the Central Library for a fun storytime featuring movement, music, and rhyming! 

Preschoolers and their caregivers can enjoy stories, rhymes, music, and learn school readiness skills. Afterwards, we will enjoy free-play together.

Music is a universal language, and everyone is invited to jam with Jordan at ASAP. We’ll use a variety of instruments to keep beats, strengthen our listening skills, create our own melodies, and have fun expressing ourselves through sound.

Snippets: A Writers' Workshop for Shorter Works Please email your submissions to Julia at jmdunt@dmpl.org if you would like them printed out. This group will read and discuss works out loud.

The Des Moines Public Library is partnering with area organizations to connect people with community resources. Community advocates will provide information about community resources like meal sites and shelters.

Join us for a drop-in event for all ages. Come in, grab warm drink and a snack, get cozy, and choose from a variety of games or puzzles to play with friends!

Join Miss Jennifer for Preschool Storytime on Monday mornings at 10:15 a.m.  There will be stories, rhymes, music, and more.

This storytime is recommended for ages three to five, but all children are welcome to attend.

April's selection is Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea.

We are no longer accepting teen volunteer applications for the 2024-2025 school year.

Join us for our evening Family Storytime at 6:30 p.m.! Kids and caregivers can join us for fun songs, stories, and acivities. You can even wear your jammies!  

Best for ages 6 and under, but all are welcome!

Beyond Birth: Baby's First Year is a free weekly postpartum support group for parents and their new babies.

Children ages 0-5 and their caregivers can engage in open play, come and go activities at South. 

Babies and their caregivers can join Miss Jennifer on Tuesdays for rhymes, songs, bounces, and a story followed by a short playtime.

Babies, toddlers, and their caregivers can join us on Tuesdays for rhymes, songs, lap bounces, and a story.

This program is recommended for children from birth to 24 months of age.

This month we will be reading and discussing TBD. Copies of the book are available at the North Side Library.

Join us for an after-school LEGO Club where building blocks will be available for open play! Use your imagination to build your ideas or use the STEM-challenge prompts and building guides to bring ideas to life. Drop-in anytime between 3-5pm.

Children will listen to a story and then create a masterpiece while exploring with art and STEM activities. Ages 3+.

When you're learning to read, practicing out loud can be daunting! Visit Central Library to practice reading with an ARL TheraPet. Engaging with animals is a great way to boost confidence and reduce anxiety around learning to read.

Come to South Side for an hour of sensory exploration!