What We Offer
Book a Book Chat Librarian
Have a Book Chat librarian chat with your book club or classroom! Head over to our Book Chat page to fill out a request.
Schools/Childcare Sites:
The Des Moines Public Library offers the following outreach opportunities for classrooms or youth groups:
Literacy Nights: We encourage your school or community organization to bring both students and parents to a fun-filled evening at the library! Literacy Night at the library may vary by branch, but typically includes a scavenger hunt, tour of the collections/facility and the opportunity for families to sign up for library accounts. If your organization hosts a similar event on site, we can join you there! Ask if our reading mascot Rosie can join the fun!
Simple Steps to Literacy Storytime: Geared toward preschool and elementary aged children. A Youth Services Specialist promotes and models the 5 simple things caregivers and educators can do with children to help them succeed: Read, Write, Talk, Sing and Play. We would love to host your group in the library or visit your site! Ask if our reading mascot Rosie can join the fun!
Information Literacy and Research Skills: Geared toward upper elementary, middle and high school students. A Youth Services Specialist provides instruction and guidance on locating, evaluating and using both print and digital resources. The library can provide this outreach at your location or here in the library!
Library tours for all ages
Bring your group to any of our six libraries for a tour of the building, learn how to locate and borrow materials and use our online resources. Perfect for those who are new to library services or those who want to discover more from the library they love!
Group Learning Opportunities for all ages
Many of our group learning opportunities can be hosted either in the library or at your site.
Local History Resources: Learn more about local history with DMPL resources like our High School Yearbooks (print and digital), historic City Directories, our collection of Histories & Images, the Iowa Collection housed at the Central Library or North Side Library’s Heritage Collection.
Study/Test Prep: Learn how to access our databases like Credo for articles and images or Learning Express, which features practice tests and e-books. Our libraries also have test prep books for a variety of exams that can be borrowed free of charge!
Information & Digital Literacy Skills: Learn more about the many databases that the DMPL provides access to. The library offers free access to information on resume building, art projects, grant funding and so much more! Our librarians are happy to lead your group through tutorials on any of our databases found on our database page.
E-resources: Learn how to use our digital collections: e-books, e-magazines, e-audiobooks, e-newspapers, streaming shows, movies and more! Attendees are encouraged to bring along their own device to access these resources, although this is not required to participate.
Community Events & Festivals
DMPL attends community events and festivals to highlight library services, sign folks up for library accounts and demo library resources.
Presentations
DMPL attends family nights, community/neighborhood meetings, and school events to provide an overview of library services that may have special appeal to your group!
Librarian-Led Programs On-the-Go
Check the library’s events page for current program offerings. Some of our librarian-led programs can be repeated off-site, just for your group!
Community Resource Displays
DMPL works with area organizations to share community information with the public. We may build displays featuring your organization’s information/event with materials from the library to support further learning. We are happy to add public handouts to our Community Resource areas as well.
Guidelines for all groups
We require at least three weeks advance notice for a tour or presentation.
Since we may not be able to accommodate all requests within a given time period, we suggest calling in advance. We cannot schedule your visit more than three months in advance.
We appreciate advance notice of groups coming to use the library, even if you do not need any special services.
Scheduling
If you are interested in discussing an outreach event, please contact Community Engagement Supervisor, Ashley Molzen at armolzen@dmpl.org or 515-283-4155.