Week Calendar

The City of Des Moines is having a special election to fill a vacancy on the city council. 

The City of Des Moines is having a special election to fill a vacancy on the city council. 

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.

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.

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.

AARP will be at the library every *Wednesday and Saturday from February 3rd through April 13th to assist the public with their taxes. On Wednesday, 02/07 and 02/14, appointments are limited to 11:30-3:30.

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.

Join DMPL and Ballet Des Moines for a very special Ballet Storytime! Kids and their families can join performers from Iowa's only resident ballet company for a ballet-themed story, with music, movement, and a story!

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.

Stop in and make a painting masterpiece using food! We have thrown out the paintbrushes and we are only using fruits and vegetables to paint with for this project.

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.

Love playing board games or putting together puzzles? Stop by the South Side Meeting Room to play a selection of provided board games and puzzles or invite a group and bring your own! Snacks will be provided.

AARP will be at the library every *Wednesday and Saturday from February 3rd through April 13th to assist the public with their taxes. On Wednesday, 02/07 and 02/14, appointments are limited to 11:30-3:30.

Celebrate National Puppy Day! Join us in the children's area to create your very own  cute floppy-eared puppy to take home using the provided materials. All ages are welcome.

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.

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.

Looking to bring a new plant to your home? Come to this plant swap and pick up a plant, share cuttings, or drop off a plant you no longer want.

Please join us for our monthly book group where we will discuss A Botanist's Guide to Parties & Poisons

This month we will be reading and discussing Lost Buxton by Rachelle Chase . 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, we will make 3-D pen art!

Join us for South Side's Monthly Book Discussion!

Love puzzles? Have puzzles at home that you've done and loved but won't do again?

Come to the South Side Library Meeting Room and exchange your beloved puzzles for new to you ones! We're having a good old fashioned puzzle swap!

Please join watercolor artist Paige as she provides instruction and guidance to do a beautiful painting! Our own librarian, Nikki will show us how to follow along as Paige teaches.

Join us for everyone's favorite game, BINGO!  This time your BINGO card will be filled with Pokémon!  Can you catch them all in a row to win a prize?  

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.

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+.

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!

Come to South Side for an hour of sensory exploration! From cool textures to fun activities, kids can have a great time learning while doing what they do best: playing!

Create a masterpiece made out of string.

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

The Franklin Library is located on DART Route #5.

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!

Annual Betty Duncan Dynamic Women Awards Banquet

Interested in learning about the history of our great City? Or learning about your little corner of it? DMPL is offering free monthly presentations on Des Moines’ fascinating past.

Join us to create a small-scale art piece! Attendees will be provided with a small canvas and materials to create their own artwork. Keep your finished masterpiece or leave it on display at the library!

Join library staff as we guide participants in painting miniature fantasy characters. Learn about the tools and techniques used to paint these small resin figurines. We'll be using paint brushes with acrylic paints.

Join DMPL and Ballet Des Moines for a very special Ballet Storytime! Kids and their families can join performers from Iowa's only resident ballet company for a ballet-themed story, with music, movement, and a story!

March's film selection is the 1969 crime comedy The Italian Job.

- Creating a tax plan

- Understanding the different types of investments

Kaveh Akbar is one of America’s most recognized poets, and his debut novel, Martyr!, was released in January.