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.

Preschoolers and their caregivers can enjoy stories, rhymes, music, and learn school readiness skills. Afterwards, we will enjoy free-play together.

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

Get creative this Summer at North Side! Every Monday, drop-in to use our cart of art supplies!

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

Babies and their caregivers can join Miss Jennifer on Tuesdays for rhymes, songs, bounces, and a story followed by a short playtime.

Listen to silly stories, sing songs, dance to music, and make art! Join Miss Emily for Family Storytime every Wednesday morning at 10:15 AM. Designed for children ages 0–5, this storytime welcomes all ages to join in the fun.

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, music, and fun activities!

Join us at the Central Library for a fun storytime featuring movement, music, and rhyming! 

Please join the Friends of the Franklin Avenue Library for our quarterly membership meeting.

Join us for a drop-in event for all ages. Come in, grab warm drink, get cozy, and choose from a variety of games or puzzles to play with friends!

November's selection is The Davenports by Krystal Marquis.

 Friends of the North Side Library Meeting.  New members always welcome.

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.

Kids and families! Come see a live owl, brought by a naturalist from Polk County Conservation! You'll also view several taxidermy mounts and learn how different adaptations of owls enable them to be good predators.

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 on the 2nd Monday of every month for our book club. Enjoy good books, great discussions, and meet fellow book lovers. Snacks and coffee are provided! 

This month we will be reading and discussing The Ministry of Time by K

STEM Challenge

Join us for South Side's Monthly Book Discussion!

✨ Silent(ish) Book Club for Tweens/Teens ✨

Memory Cafés provide a welcoming environment for people living with dementia and their care partners, creating a sense of community without the pressure to share in a support group env

Join us at Forest Avenue Library for Blues with Storytelling with Tina Haase-Findlay and Rob Lumbard.

In this workshop, we'll explore the Major Arcana cards in depth and learn how to work with these 22 important cards. We'll work with some easy to learn spreads so that you can build your Tarot practice, too!

Watch Addams Family Values and do summer camp themed crafts at this movie crafternoon! 

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

On July 14, build your very own weird Barbie with mismatched clothes, crazy hair, and more!

Drama Games, with ASAP Teaching Artist Kyle Chizek

Young artists, here's your chance to learn watercolor painting from a professional artist! Each week focuses on a new skill or technique: blending, texture, color theory, brushstroke technique, and more. 

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 teaching artist Amanda Rhoads and have fun sculpting a different project each week using polymer clay, a soft, non-toxic moldable clay that hardens as it air dries, eliminating the need for a kiln.

When you're learning to read, practicing out loud can be daunting! Visit Central Library to practice reading with 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!

Cool off at South Side Library with a delicious popsicle and enjoy a fun game of 9-hole mini golf, courtesy of our friends at Pop-Up Games Des Moines.

Join the Friends of the Forest Avenue Library for the monthly meeting at Forest Avenue Library!

Explore food as art with Teaching Artist Amy Joens! Participants will discover the colors, shapes, textures, and tastes of fresh, in-season fruits, vegetables, and herbs straight from the garden.

Are you a graphic novel fan? Join us for our EPIC Graphic Novel BOOK CLUB for ages 7-11!

Learn how to use the Bambu X-1 Carbon filament 3D printer and the Formlabs Form 3 resin 3D printer.  Participants will learn how to use the free software to prepare their 3D files for printing at the library.

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 us for an Android workshop! We'll present the basic functions and features of Android phones. You'll learn about common apps and how to use your device safely and confidently.

Registration required.

Join us for our evening Family Storytime at 6:30 p.m.! Kids and caregivers can join us for fun songs, stories, and acivities. You can even wear your jammies!  

Best for ages 6 and under, but all are welcome!

Spend an hour making something new while enjoying the company of other local crafters. In July, use Sharpie markers and isopropyl alcohol to decorate ceramic coasters with a tie-dye design. All materials provided.

Do you have lots of weird knowledge about various reality tv shows? Can you relate almost any situation in your life to something that happened on reality tv? 

Bring your favorite teddy bear or stuffed animal for a fun-filled campout at the library! 

Join us for a special Pajama Storytime all about Outer Space. We will read stories about the wonders of the cosmos, have a warm beverage, and make a craft. Wear your coziest pjs and bring a stuffie to snuggle!