Week Calendar

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

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.

Children ages 3 to 5 and their caregivers can join us Thursdays at 10:00 a.m. for a 30-minute storytime with stories, rhymes, music, and play! This week, we'll pull out our water tables and kiddie pool for some summer fun!

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.

Bring the whole family to North Side for a Pigeon Party Storytime! We will enjoy Mo Willem's Pigeon books, music, movement, and crafts.

Participants will also get to meet Ozzie, a thera-pigeon from the Animal Rescue League of Iowa!

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

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

Learn the basic stitches of hand embroidery and then get started on a beginner pattern! Participants will receive an embroidery hoop and supplies to continue practicing at home.

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.

Join us as we welcome Miss Capital City 2024, Abby Turner, to the library for a special princess story time.

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.

Have you ever wanted to slay a dragon, raid a dungeon treasure room, or even save a village from an evil bandit horde? Always wanted to play Dungeons & Dragons, but didn’t know where to start?

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!

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.

This event will discuss bug bite and heat related illnesses. 

Please join us for our monthly book group where we will discuss Last Summer at the Golden Hotel by Elyssa Friedland. 

This month we will be reading and discussing The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson. Copies of the book are available at the North Side Library.

Join us for South Side's Monthly Book Discussion! This month we are reading Solito by Javier Zamora.

Spend some time outside at Central! Take a turn through the fire safety obstacle course, then check out the fire truck, garbage truck, dump truck, street sweeper, and more!

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.

Join NASA JPL Solar System Ambassador volunteer Dan Hoy and explore the fascinating world of stars. Learn about our own local star, the Sun, as well as the various sizes and colors of stars in our galaxy.

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. 

Celebrate Pride Month with a Pride Party for the whole family!

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.

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! This month we'll be doing sensory exploration outside!

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!

Are you a graphic novel fan? Join us for our EPIC Graphic Novel BOOK CLUB for ages 7-11. We will briefly chat about this month's book, and work on a fun activity or craft related to the book!

Stop by the children's area and grab a DIY Ball drop game kit to take home!

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 third Thursday of each month to play, but

Join artist and library staff member Fueche Vang as we paint a scene of a day at the beach. We'll start with some simple exercises before moving into our final piece. 

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!

June's film selection is the 2009 satire In the Loop, starring James Gandolfini.

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