DMPL closed Sunday, March 31

All locations of the Des Moines Public Library will be closed Sunday, March 31 for the Easter holiday.

Blog Entries

Blog Type
Tags
Staff Member

Meet the Librarian: Dana Smith

What he does: Adult Services Librarian. My position at the Forest Avenue Library is half-time. Most of my efforts are directed at providing service at our public service contact points and development of adult programs. I also oversee the weekly “Conversations and Coffee” meetings, pa...

Read More

The History of March Madness in Iowa

Des Moines has gone mad! Today marks the start of Round 1 of NCAA March Madness 2019, and players and fans have descended upon downtown Des Moines to watch games at the Wells Fargo Arena. Eight incredible teams are ready to take the floor, including both 2-seed teams from Michigan (Michigan Sta...

Read More

8 Awesome Women to Celebrate on International Women's Day

International Women’s Day has been celebrated for more than 100 years. The day has become a focal point to recognize efforts for women’s equality and to empower women around the globe. The library is home to hundreds of inspiring books that highlight the achievements of women in politics, the arts, ...

Read More

9 New Books to Read in March

March is very eventful, being Women’s History Month, Irish American Month, and (usually) a transition into spring. There’s a book out there for those topics and more. These nine titles offer just a taste of the new items hitting our shelves; we recommend getting your holds in now. If you want t...

Read More

Ask the Staff: Favorite Dr. Seuss Book

Tomorrow is Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss' birthday. In the spirit of rhymes and reading, we asked our staff what their favorite Dr. Seuss book was. So many of us grew up with these classic stories, and the memories of reading them have not faded away. We got lots of responses — ar...

Read More

What We're Loving: February

Your library card can get you more than just books! We have a huge digital collection – including TV streaming services, e-audiobooks, newspaper subscriptions, digital yearbooks, and more – and a full schedule of adult and youth programming, all available to you for FREE. If you’...

Read More

DMPL Podcast: Tracey Garvis Graves

Central Iowa author Tracey Garvis Graves joins the podcast for today's episode. Graves new book, The Girl He Used to Know, hits library shelves and bookstores everywhere on April 2. Graves is best well-known for her debut novel, On the Island. She initially self-published that bo...

Read More

4 Books and a Concert to Check Out Before the Oscars

The film industry’s biggest night is on Sunday, as awards season finally culminates with the Academy Awards - also known as the Oscars. As usual, books and other art available at the library can help you dig deeper into some of the year’s best movies. Of course, if you want to watch the Oscar-nom...

Read More

10 Staff Picks for Black History Month

Change will not come if we wait for some other person, or if we wait for some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change that we seek. – Barack Obama February is Black History Month. Below, our librarians have selected ten books, both fiction and non-fiction, that fo...

Read More

DMPL Podcast: Iowa Romance Novelists President Jan Walters

With Valentine's Day occuring this week, we invited Iowa Romance Novelists President Jan Walters on the podcast. Jan shares with us a new book from an Iowa author and a romantic paranormal series she loves that was recently completed. She also talks about her own books and shares how working wi...

Read More

Island Paradise: Eight Great Books Set on an Island

It’s the winter that never ends. More snow fell again last night. You’re probably tired of shoveling and wiping the snow off your car, and the kids have cabin fever. Don’t you wish you were on an island right now? Take a mental break and find paradise in your mind by reading one of these eight books...

Read More

6 Concerts to Watch on Qello Before the Grammys

Award season continues with the Grammy Awards this Sunday. You may not be able make it to Los Angeles to see some of music’s biggest stars walk the red carpet, but you can see them rock the stage from the comfort of your home with the Des Moines Public Library's Qello streaming service. Qello has hu...

Read More

Eight New Books to Read in February

A steamy romance for Valentine's Day, thrilling family dramas, and a new novel from Angie Thomas, the author of The Hate U Give... February is full of great new books. We've highlighted eight of those books below; if you want more great book picks, sign up for our email newsletter. ...

Read More

DMPL Podcast: Kevin Gannon

Kevin Gannon, Ph.D., is a history professor at Grand View University. Kevin will be moderating the Becoming American series that begins next Monday at 6:00 PM at the Franklin Avenue Library. Becoming American is a documentary film and discussion series examining immigration. ...

Read More