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 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.

Listen to silly stories, meet adorable puppet friends and move to fun songs!  Join Miss Becky at Forest Avenue Library for Family Storytime at 10:00 A.M.!

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.

Our friend Arlette will join us for a special bilingual storytime featuring movement, music, and rhyming!

¡Nuestra amiga Arlette se unirá para una hora de cuentos bilingüe especial con movimiento, música y rimas!

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

Celebrate the wonderful world of pollinators by attending our pollinator palooza.

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.

 Friends of the North Side Library Meeting.  New members always welcome.

This program will include a brief overview of where Mindfulness Meditation comes from and why we do it, followed by a 20 minute sitting practice with time for Q&A afterwards. Chair seating will be available.

Aprenda a hacer recetas fáciles, nutritivas y baratas con una instructora de Iowa State University - Extension.  Durante esta clase de 8 semanas, aprenderá a:

Ahorrar dinero: comprar y gastar menos en sus alimentos.

Join us for a Nintendo Switch Party! We will have games like Mario Kart 8 & Super Mario Bros. Ultimate. Feel free to bring your own Switch or share the library’s controllers.

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.

Please join us for our monthly book group where we will discuss Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. 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 Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff. Copies of the book are available at the North Side Library.

Drop-in to North Side every Wednesday to enjoy a craft or STEM activity!

This week, challenge yourself to make the longest paper chain with just one sheet of paper!

Join us for our monthly South Side Book Discussion!

Our September book is The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka.

The Mid-Autumn Festival or Tết Trung Thu in Vietnamese is a traditional festival celebrated by many East and Southeast Asian people. It is held on the 15th in the eighth lunar month, corresponding to mid-September to early October.

Join us at the South Side Library for a role-playing card game where you become one of the heroines from Jane Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice. Players work to attract the interest of available suitors using both cunning and charac

Welcome to Senior Debate 2023! This introduction session will be the kick off for multiple rounds of public debate style tournaments that will flex your research skills and competitive nature. No prior experience needed!

Are you looking for a great place to volunteer? Become a volunteen and help with library projects and programs.

Monarch Butterflies are especially attracted to the nectar of the native Iowa plants. Special guest, Joel Van Roekel from Des Moines Parks and Recreation, will show us how to tag and release Monarch Butterflies after we read a book.

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, September 19 at 4:15 PM in the Forest Avenue Library Meeting Room. 

Join us at the library for one of our favorite activities, making miniature animals out of glass gems.

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

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

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

Join us for several games of BINGO featuring characters from your favorite movies!  Prizes will be awarded to the winners.

The Franklin Library is located on DART Route #5.

Interested in learning about the history of our
great city? Or learning about your little corner
of it? Stop by our monthly presentation on
Des Moines’ fascinating past. You’ll also learn

We will build Roz the Robot and Brighbill from The Wild Robot by Peter Brown and do STEM challenges with our robot. 

WEEK 1: Build Roz the robot and complete a Camouflage Challenge

Join artist and library staff member Fueche Vang as we study and paint in the style of master fantasy artist Frank Frazetta. Basic materials such as paper, pencils, and paint will be provided. Attendees are welcome to bring their own materials.

Kids and families can learn about the monarch butterflies in this special program at South! Join Parks and Recreation Supervisor Joel Van Roekel as he shares information about monarch butterflies.

September's film selection is the 2019 biopic The Professor and the Madman.

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, Patrick J.

Learn how to best interact with your elected representatives on topics you care about with Iowa ACLU!

Apple season calls for apple desserts! In this event, Haley will show participants how to create a delicious apple crisp from her moms recipe! We will peel, core and dice the apples.

Have you ever tried astronaut food? Weather permitting we will launch alka-seltzer rockets outside.  Best for ages 6+

Bring the whole family for one of kind art project. All supplies will be provided--dress to get messy! 

Join the Des Moines Public Library and Beaverdale Books for an evening with William Kent Krueger.