Week Calendar

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

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

The Iowa State University’s Insect Zoo is bringing some of their creepiest bugs to the Forest Avenue Library!

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.

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 us 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.

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.

Bring your young ones to our Little Explorers program, designed for children ages 0-5, to discover, learn and play with different sensory activities. No Registration is Required. Please wear play clothes as some activities may be messy.

Drop by our children's area to build with LEGOs. Show a staff member your creation for a prize!

Skip the scramble for outlets at coffee bars and come to the library to connect with your fellow writers or to write individually! Feel free to stay all day or just stop by for a quick visit.

Join the Valley Junction Chapter of the Embroiderers' Guild of America to make embroidered corner bookmarks! In this class, participants will learn different stiches to create their bookmark.

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.

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.  We usually get together on the first Sunday of each month to play. 

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.

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.

The Iowa State University’s Insect Zoo is bringing some of their creepiest bugs to the Central Library!

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

This week, design and build a miniature house out of cardboard!

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.

Do you love to craft? Come make a fall no-sew fabric pumpkin to decorate your house or bring your current project and make some progress! 

Registration recommended.

Head back to the medieval times at North Side. Enjoy knight, dragon, and royalty-themed crafts, games, and STEM activities for the whole family!

We will eat popcorn and do a small activity while we watch Inside Out.

Children will listen to a story and then create a masterpiece while exploring with art and STEM activities. Ages 3 to 8 years old, but younger and older siblings are welcome.

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

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

Join us at Central Library for the Game On! Tweens and Teens are welcome to enjoy some snacks and play games with friends! We'll have different board games and card games set up every month.

Join us for the Teen Anime/Manga Meetup! We’ll get together and discuss all things Anime and Manga!

This week - teens can draw and make their own customizable stickers to take home!  Ages 12-18. 

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!

Stop in and get creative! We will be learning about pumpkins with a story and songs. Then decorate a mini pumpkins using paint and cotton swabs!

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+. 

Join us for the DMPL Writer's Workshop on the first* Monday of the month from 5:30-7:30 PM. Share samples of work and receive feedback from other writers in the group.

Visítenos para una prueba gratuita de presión arterial o azúcar en la sangre proporcionada por Knock and Drop, Mi Salud Iowa, y RIVA.

This meet-up is for anyone looking to connect with other people interested in biodiverse gardens.  The focus is on native plants which foster and nourish wildlife.

This hands-on program will focus on assembling simple paper models of common birds. Beginning and intermediate crafters are invited to learn the basics or test their skills.

In the last 200 years, much of Iowa's self-sustaining prairie landscape has been transformed into agricultural lands that have lost their original resilience and health.

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!

As the nights get longer and the weather chillier, a little bit of light goes a long way!

Join librarians Dennis and Elizabeth for a monthly conversation around a life-changing nonfiction book.  Each month we’ll select a book that will change your perspective, give you new strategies for handling life’s challenges, or deepen your

Join Bridgett Robinson, Neighborhood Finance Corporation’s Diversity and Inclusion Mortgage Loan Originator and Outreach Coordinator, along with community panelists, as they help navigate what Black/African American homeownership may look like tod

Come learn some pop-up techniques and make a card of your own design!

Yours doesn't have to be neon or say "hello," but here are some samples showing different ways of making pop-ups:

Every Dungeons & Dragons game needs a Dungeon Master to facilitate the game and make the magic happen for the other players.  Come learn insights, secrets, tips and tricks from seasoned Dungeon Masters to prepare for your first time playi

Join us for some special guests with the Blank Park Zoo as the present "Night in the Forest".  Learn about the how animals sleep at night or some that stay awake with the moon.  Best for ages 6+