Day of the Dead, or El Día de los Muertos, is a traditional Latin American holiday celebrating the lives of loved ones who have passed away. Originating in Mexico, the holiday has since spread across much of Latin America and among those of Mexican heritage in the United States. The holida...
Read MoreThe DMPL Podcast welcomes author and Iowa native Greer Macallister to the podcast. Greer and host Aaron Gernes chat about her most recent novel, Woman 99, which is largely set in a woman's insane asylum in the late 19th century. The book was called "A gorgeous ode to the power of female courage" by ...
Read MoreThe DMPL Podcast welcomes Bill Jamerson to the show this week. Jamerson, a singer-storyteller, is coming to the Franklin Avenue Library next week to present his program Dollar-A-Day Boys: A Musical Tribute to the Civilian Conservation Corps. The program will take place on Wednesday, October 23,...
Read MoreOctober is LGBTQ+ History Month. The month-long observance was first recognized in 1994. The event was created by Missouri high school social studies teacher Rodney Wilson, who chose October to coincide with National Coming Out Day on October 11. The month is a recognition of the contributions that ...
Read MorePlease note: all branches of the Des Moines Public Library will be closed on Monday, October 14 for our annual in-service day. It's the one time each year that employees from all branches gather together as a group to discuss timely topics and receive important education. We will reopen for normal b...
Read MoreWelcome to the new dmpl.org! The Des Moines Public Library is happy to launch a refreshed website for the first time in six years. We asked you, our users, for feedback, asking how you used the website and what you liked and didn't like about it. Hundreds of you responded, allowing us to build a web...
Read MoreNational Hispanic Heritage Month is underway across the country. The month of recognition runs from September 15 to October 15, when people recognize and celebrate the contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to the country's history and culture. It began as Hispanic Heritage Week, establ...
Read MoreThere have been tons of great new books released in 2019 - certainly more than you can keep up with on your To Be Read list. That said, if you need to fill some holes in your categories for The 2019 DMPL Reading Challenge, we have you covered. We didn't suggest these books at the beginning of t...
Read MoreOur guest today on the DMPL Podcast is Iowa native, explorer, adventurer, and photographer David Thoreson! David grew up on Lake Okoboji in northwest Iowa, where he still resides – when he’s not sailing around the world. Thoreson has sailed more than 65,000 nautical miles across the globe, includ...
Read MoreSeptember is Library Card Sign-Up Month. Even if you already have a library card, you may not realize everything that you can do with your card. With a myriad of ways to use your card, we want to help you get started. Below we've listed seven of the countless ways your library ca...
Read MoreIt’s the first day of school! The library is here to help your you and your family make this a great school year. Do you know about everything the library offers? From practice tests to quiet study spaces, learn more about all the different ways the library can help out during school: LearningExp...
Read MoreWe had a great time this summer at the Des Moines Public Library! All Summer Long, the library's summer reading program, wrapped up last week. It included puppet shows, space science, storytimes, music, and so much more. Here are some big numbers from this year: Our six branches hosted 550 p...
Read MoreSome of the best films in history are now available at the touch of your fingers, for free! We're excited to launch Kanopy at the Des Moines Public Library. Kanopy is an on-demand streaming service with a large collection of award-winning films and documentaries. (Residency restrictions ap...
Read MoreThe year is just over halfway through, and it's time to take a look at what you, our patrons, are reading this year. We've identified the top five most requested fiction and nonfiction books and DVDs of the year so far. You'll probably recognize most of the names on the list, and you may have even s...
Read MoreHost Aaron Gernes talks with NASA Space Launch System Quality Engineer Dr. K. Renee Horton. Dr. Horton will be in Des Moines next week, July 15-17, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. She discusses what drew her to space exploration, how she overcame challenges to become...
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