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.

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

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.

Juneteenth Storytime

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.

Come to the South Side Library lawn and see how fast you can complete our outdoor obstacle course! Get ready to crawl, run, and maybe even get a little wet! 

Best for ages 6 and up.

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.

Kids and Families! Explore the world of bugs with a Polk County Conservation naturalist! We will even take a look at some live insects! 

Kids and caregivers!

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

Join Ms. Alicia at the Heritage Carousel for a special storytime for the whole family!

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

Learn about butterflies and plants with Environmental Educator Joel Van Roekel, from the Des Moines Parks and Recreation Department. Participants will get to plant their own butterfly garden to take home!

1:00-2:00 Meet author, Glo Rose

June's selection is The Old Place by Bobby Finger.

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 garbage and recycling truck!

Get started on the ukulele and quickly learn to play familiar tunes while having fun! Play your own ukulele or borrow one of North Side's soprano ukuleles for the class.

Get started on the ukulele and quickly learn to play familiar tunes while having fun! Play your own ukulele or borrow one of North Side's soprano ukuleles for the class.

Join us for Spring Lawyers in Libraries Program sponsored by the ISBA Legal Access Committee.

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.

Get started on the ukulele and quickly learn to play familiar tunes while having fun! Play your own ukulele or borrow one of North Side's soprano ukuleles for the class.

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.

When his sister asks him to look after her son, a radio journalist embarks on a cross-country trip with his energetic nephew to show him life away from Los Angeles. Joaquin Phoenix is the star of director Mike Mills' 2021 drama.

The library welcomes Erin Huiatt, local author of the book “100 Things to Do in Des Moines Before You Die” for a special BI

This program for caregivers explains the communication changes that take place throughout the course of Alzheimer’s disease, how to decode and respond to the verbal and behavioral messages delivered by someone with dementia, and strategies to conn

Come to East Side Library to learn about our city zoo and conservation from a Blank Park Zoo educator. You might also get to meet an ambassador animal from the zoo!

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!

Des Moines Metro Opera Preview Lecturer Joshua Borths returns for an in-depth preview of the final two operas of the opera’s 2024 season: Debussy’s shimmering Impressionist opera, Pelléas & Mélisande, and the world premiere of Damien

The Art of Expression is a monthly program for teens to learn and create different types of art in a relaxed atmosphere. 

Join us on June 10 to kick off Pride 2024 and make some colorful rainbow crafts.

 Learn all about different types of trees, and the wildlife that use trees as a habitat with a Polk County Naturalist. Come learn and  see up close just how unique trees are!

Join us for a colorful celebration featuring crafts, activities, and games.  Special guest Esteban the Crayon from The Day the Crayons Quit will be here giving out high fives and posing for photos.

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. 

Blast off to your next LEGO challenge. Bring the family and your sense of fun creating epic spaceships, kooky aliens, and cool vehicles! But beware, you never know when disaster may strike! Registration is required.  Age 3 and up.

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.

Join us at Central Library for Game On! Tweens and Teens (10-18) are welcome to enjoy snacks and play games with friends! We'll alternate between board games, card games, and games on the Nintendo Switch.

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!

Celebrate Summer Reading at South Side Library! Enjoy a train ride with our friends from Choo Choo Rides 4 U and be amazed at the balloon art stylings of Professor Von Air! 

Discuss the fears and myths about these scaly critters people love to hate. Find out how reptiles smell, see, and move. A live animal will be used if available. Supports Iowa Life Science Standards.

The ARL TheraPets are coming to Forest! Come meet the pets and pick your favorite book to read to an animal. 

Would you like to use Tech Central's new FormLabs Form 3 resin 3D printer?  Take this required training to learn how!  Participants will learn how to use FormLabs free PreForm software to prepare their 3D prints for printing at the libra

The East Side Library welcomes dancers from Yaro Dance Company, dancers will be here to show off their shoes and costumes and talk about their love of dance!

Connect with others interested in environmentally friendly gardens. The focus is on native plants which foster and nourish wildlife.

Join us 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 understanding of a topic.

Join us for Spring Lawyers in Libraries Program sponsored by the ISBA Legal Access Committee.

Join us for an exciting and hands-on journey into the world of relief printmaking.

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!

Question: What do thunderstorms, pollinators and grant money all have in common?

Answer: Rain Gardens

This month's book is Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. 

Join us for a multi-week investigation! This game will have six episodes.

This is Episode 1. Perfect if you haven't started playing Moon Summit.

Get your coziest pajamas ready and bring your favorite stuffie to Pajama StoryTime! We will read books about bedtime, sing songs, dance our sillies out, drink hot chocolate, and make a nightlight.

Join us once a month to discuss books by underrepresented authors. Our goal is to amplify these voices and experiences while discussing social issues in the context of fiction and non-fiction books.

See the 1981 classic movie Mommie Dearest (directed by Frank Perry) followed by a discussion about the making of the film and its reception with Hollywood historian A. Ashley Hoff.

The 2024 AViD season concludes on Thursday, June 13 at 7 PM at Central Library with popular romance author Jasmine Guillory, dubbed the “undisputed queen of modern-day romance” by Vogue. Guillory is the belove