Week Calendar

Join us weekly for rhymes, songs, bounces, stories, and a little playtime. For caregivers and babies ages 0 - 18 months.

Toddlers and their caregivers can enjoy introductory stories, songs, music, and movement! For ages 18 months to 36 months.

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.

Join us for rhymes, songs, bounces, stories, and a little playtime. For caregivers and babies ages 0 - 18 months.

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 enjoy playtime together in our meeting room.

Come and enjoy stories, rhymes, songs and storytelling in English and Spanish. Family Storytime starts at 10:00 A.M.! Family Storytime is aimed at children ages 18 months-6 years old, but all ages are welcome to join in.   

Staff from the Evelyn K Davis Center for Working Families are ready to provide one-on-one job search and resume assistance to job seekers.

Staff from the Evelyn K Davis Center for Working Families are ready to provide one-on-one job search and resume assistance to job seekers.

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.

Children ages 3 to 5 and their caregivers can join us Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. for a 30-minute storytime with stories, musical activities and take-home activities that prepare your child for school.

Learn how to use the Glowforge Plus Laser Engraver at Tech Central! This program takes the place of the 1 on 1 Glowforge tutorial, so you will be fully qualified to book and use the Glowforge on your own after this program.

Join us at the Central Library for a fun storytime featuring movement, music, and rhyming! The storytime will take place in the meeting room to allow for social distancing.

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

Writers Workshop: Poetry, Short Stories, & Essays. Join us for this special one-time program to celebrate Poetry Month!

Registration is required. Email Julia at jmdunt@dmpl.org if you have any questions.

Join us from 10 AM to 4 PM in the children's area for activities, a craft and a scavenger hunt that celebrates our earth.

Come to the library to celebrate Earth Day and by crafting and decorating your own pair of binoculars out of toilet paper tubes! 

Visit the library for a special sneak preview of the Des Moines Community Playhouse production of How I Became a Pirate based on the hilarious story by Melinda Long.

Robin Coarts, local author and co-founder of Plant-Based Point, is excited to take the mystery out of eating vegan/plant-based, provide some helpful tips, and cook for you! Join us for an education and food demo where you will be treated samp

Please join the Friends of the Franklin Avenue Library for our quarterly member's meeting.

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.

Save Money: Shop Smart and waste less food.

Save Time: At the store and in the kitchen

Help Picky Eaters: try new foods

Do you have what it takes to get first place?  Challenge each other to Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch, enjoy themed snacks, and decorate crafts based on this epic game.  Best for ages 6+, as supplies last!

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.

Prepare for adventure! Open Slay Dungeons & Dragons is for teens and tweens who know how to play D&D and are ready to take on a campaign!

All gaming supplies and characters will be provided by The Rook Room.

Please join us for our monthly book group where we will discuss Sea of tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. Books will be available for pick up at the East Side circulation desk. Coffee and treats will be served.

This month we will be reading and discussing The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian. Copies of the book are available at the North Side Library.

Join us for our monthly South Side Book Discussion!

Our April book is Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America by Mayukh Sen.

The Project from Primary Health Care will present about treatment and prevention of HIV/Aids, Hepatitis, and STIs.

Visit North Side and read to a furry friend from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa's Therapets program!

This month, our animal visitor will be Ozzie the Thera-pigeon!

It’s never too late to feel comfortable with a computer. Staff will answer your questions about­­ computer basics like using a mouse, typing, email­­­, document creation and more. 

Join Dwana Bradley, General Chairperson of Iowa Juneteenth, at this week's Creative Readers to learn more about Juneteenth. Children will listen to a story and then create a masterpiece while exploring with art and STEM activities.

Tweens and teens ages 10-18 can paint a small pot and plant Garden Cress seeds. Garden Cress is a fast-growing, edible herb!

Level up your gaming skills! Use our tablets and Nintendo Switch to play Among Us, Minecraft, Roblox, and more. Ages 8+.

Do you love animals? Then visit Central Library to practice reading with and learn about an ARL TheraPet! Engaging with animals is a great way to boost confidence and reduce anxiety around learning to read!

The Library Board of Trustees will meet Tuesday, April 18 at 4:15 PM in the Franklin Avenue Library Meeting Room. 

Come and create a hot air balloon that looks like it is flying off the paper!

Art in the Library is for children ages 6-12 and requires preregistration.  

Aprenda a usar la computadora, navegar la red, y usar varios servicios y programas digitales. Para gente edades 18+. No necesita apartar lugar.

Teens! Do you need volunteer hours? Students ages 12-18 may volunteer at the South Side Library for 1 hour performing various tasks during our South VolunTeens program! This is a great way to earn volunteer hours!

Join us every month at the Forest Avenue Library as we learn about art from around the world and complete a craft related to what we've learned. This month's activity is European Relief Prints. Ages 10+. 

Join the Friends of the Forest Avenue Library for the monthly meeting at Forest Avenue Library!

You’re trapped in Bowser’s Castle, and the only way to escape and win a prize is to follow the clues and complete the challenges!  Ages 8 to 13. Registration required.

Teens, do you need volunteer hours? Students ages 12-18 may volunteer at the East Side Library for 1 hour performing various tasks during the VolunTeens program. This is a great way to earn volunteer hours!

Are you a graphic novel fan? Join us for our EPIC Graphic Novel BOOK CLUB for ages 7-11.

All your friends will want you spinning at their parties! At this hands-on class we will learn the skills needed to become a DJ. We provide the equipment, you bring the creativity. Ages 12+. 

Children and their caregivers can enjoy a story and a hands-on activity every Wednesday evening at North Side!

Join us to learn the ins and outs of how City of Des Moines takes care of our recycling and learn how you can be a better recycler!

Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing game set in worlds of swords and sorcery where players use their imaginations to tell a story and create an adventure together. 

Dungeons & Dragons is a role-playing game set in worlds of swords and sorcery where players use their imaginations to create characters and tell a story together.  This adventuring group meets on the third Thursday of each month from 5:30

Join artist and library staff member Fueche Vang as we study and draw in the style of Japanese anime artist Hayao Miyazaki. Basic materials such as paper, pencils, and watercolors will be provided.

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

This month's film selection is director Billy Wilder's WWII prison camp drama Stalag 17, starring William Holden.

Join the Forest Avenue Library for a film presentation from the State Historical Society of Iowa. We'll be watching one Iowa History 101 film each third Tuesday from February until November. This month, Mila Kaut, Northwestern University Ph.D.

Come to the library for a Poetry Month craft! We'll each stitch up a simple pamphlet stitch book and fill it with a poem, with old library books available to illustrate or collage the pages (or draw your own).

Come play the library's games like Ticket to Ride, Unstable Unicorns, Code Names, Ransome Notes, Phase 10 and more!

Decorate your windows with a botanical suncatcher.  We will learn about pressing flowers and craft our own embroidery hoop suncatchers to take home after listening to a story about plants and growing.  Best for ages 6+, as supplies last!

The whole family can come to the library to design and build a mini waterslide using everyday materials.

The Franklin Library is located on DART Route #5.