Week Calendar

Polk County Primary Election

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.

Today's story time will feature a special guest, Dwana Bradley, Executive Director of Iowa Juneteenth and the Des Moines Urban Experience.

Get creative at North Side! Drop-in to the library on Mondays during June and July to enjoy a variety of arts and crafts supplies.

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. 

Need help creating an email account? Polishing a resume or applying for a job? Come to the Forest Avenue Library on Tuesdays from 10:00AM-12PM and get individual computer assistance. First-come, first-served. 

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.

Join us on the lawn for stories, songs and early literacy activities! Bring your own chair or blanket for seating and your energy for fun!  This event is geared for ages 3-6 but older and younger siblings are welcome.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Kids and caregivers!

Beat the boredom during the summer by visiting the library and using your imagination to create amazing things with our LEGOs.

The whole family can visit the library and take on our Family STEM Challenge.  This month we will have supplies available to make a straw airplane.  Materials will be available between 10:00 AM and 12:00 PM.

Stop in the library to do some fun arts and crafts with our Art Cart! While supplies last. Adult supervision is required. 

Tippi Toes is coming back to the library!

Our exciting, high energy dance classes are the perfect opportunity for kids to try something new while having a blast and burning some energy! Any child between the ages 2-10 can participate.

Pack a picnic for the family and join Franklin Avenue Library at the Woodlawn Park!

Hear all about owls and the adaptations that make them good predators! We will also get to meet a live owl.

This program is geared towards children in grades 3-8, but all are welcome to attend.

Youth and their families can come to South Side Library to help us plant and design a small container garden for the summer! See how it grows and changes every time you visit!

Kids in the Kitchen is 6-7 week program based around the Department of Agriculture "MyPlate". Each session, students learn about a food group, why it is good for us, physical activity, and then we make a snack together at the end of the class.

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. 

Kick off the 2024 Summer Reading Challenge with an afternoon of fun for youth of all ages!

Littles

Experience the whimsical origin story of the famed chocolatier Willy Wonka! Join us for popcorn and a fun activity while we watch Wonka. Rated PG.

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.

Kids and caregivers! Come to the South Side Library's parking lot to see and touch a truck!

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 at the Central Library to learn the basics of crochet--we will provide all necessary materials, and participants will get to take home a starter hook, yarn, and tapestry needle to continue their project!

Best for ages 10+

Join local herbalist, Lindsey Coyne, for a workshop making herbal sachets and an herb blend shaker for your kitchen table.

Curious about cooking? Sharpen your kitchen knowledge at our Teen Chef program and learn how to make a variety of delicious foods. 

Do you love to craft? Come paint on a mini canvas or bring your current project and make some progress! Template and free-hand options will be available by choice.

Registration recommended.

Start off the summer playing Star Wars Bingo at the library!

Visit South Side for some bubble fun! From giant bubbles to tiny bubbles and everything in between, you can try out our assortment of bubble wands and help us celebrate summer!

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. 

Back by popular demand, with new templates and patterns!

Do you like to try new things, think on your feet, play games, work in teams, create and perform skits, and make new friends? Join us Mondays in June from 4–5 p.m.

Whether you are passionate about manga or just interested in seeing what it's all about, the Forest Ave Library's Manga Book Club is a place for you to make friends, read fun and exciting stories, talk about manga, watch anime, make art, and play

Kick off Pride month at Central with DMPL and Central Iowa Rainbow Families! We'll have something for everyone, including a toddler dance party, crafts, and more! 

Stop by the children's area and grab a beaded lizard kit to take home! The kit contains all of the supplies and directions needed to make one lizard. You will use a simple threading technique and pony beads to make your new friend.

Kick-off Summer Reading at North Side! Come to the North Side Library parking lot to enjoy fun activities for the whole family. We will have free mini train rides, face painting, and more!

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.

Join us for our Spring Lawyers in Libraries Program sponsored by the ISBA Legal Access Committee. This program will focus on Medicaid eligibilit

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!

Art Club will occur on the first Thursday of each month. It will feature picture books and a related art project each month. We will learn about artists, art concepts, and topics that will give us inspiration to make our own art.