Week Calendar

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.

Bring your young ones to our Little Explorers program, designed for children ages 0-5, to discover, learn and play with different sensory activities. No Registration is Required. Please wear play clothes as some activities may be messy.

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.

Children ages 0-5 and their caregivers can engage in open play, come and go activities at South. 

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

Staff from the Evelyn K Davis Center for Working Families are ready to provide one-on-one job search and resume assistance to job seekers.

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!

Enjoy a fun storytime featuring movement, music, and rhyming! 

Snippets: A Writers' Workshop for Shorter Works. This group will read and discuss works out loud. Seating is limited. Registration is required.

Tippi Toes is coming back to the library!

Our exciting, high energy dance classes are the perfect opportunity for kids to try something new while having a blast and burning some energy! Any child between the ages 2-10 can participate.

Dancers from Yaro Dance Company will showcase their shoes and costumes while sharing their love of dance!

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 first Sunday of each month to play. 

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!

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 conversation club is both for native speakers and those wanting to learn Russian. Topics of conversation are meant to be light. Get to know other members of your community, or assist those wanting to learn Russian.

Need to write a resume for the first time? Want some help with editing your current resume? Or do you just want to do a little refining to help you get the job you want?

Need help with a phone, laptop, or tablet, or another electronic device? Come by the Central Library at 2PM on Thursdays and our staff will work with you to figure things out. This is a drop-in, first-come first-served service.

Join us for a movie watch party!

Popcorn provided. Movies are rated PG.

Wet Felting with ASAP Teaching Artist Megan Clausen

Do you love to craft? Come make a macramé art project using upcycled t-shirt yarn or bring your current piece and make some progress! 

Registration recommended.

Pastel Painting with ASAP Teaching Artist Amanda Rhoads!

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 us at Forest for an Anime Workshop with ASAP Teaching Artist Shayla Williams. You'll explore the popular art of Japanese-style animation and learn to draw characters in anime style! Snack and all materials provided.

Today's book club is rescheduled from Tues, 7/29.

Tweens and teens ages 10-14 can join us for a book club on the last Tuesday of the month.

Join teaching artist Amanda Rhoads and work hands-on with air-dry clay to create a miniature masterpiece you'll take home each week.

Calling all poets to Freedom in Freeform. 

Join us for the DMPL Writer's Workshop on the first* Monday of the month from 5:30-7:30 PM. Share samples of work and receive feedback from other writers in the group.

Better Choices, Better Health, also known as the Chronic Disease Self-Management Program (CDSMP), helps adults and caregivers manage symptoms of chronic diseases like heart disease, arthritis, diabetes, depression, asthma, and more.

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!

Join us at Forest Avenue Library for Card Club. We will play trick-taking card games such as 500, Euchre, Hearts, Spades, Tiến lên and others.

UPDATE: Street closures in the area. Parking below the library closes at 4pm. Street parking available on the Locust St. side of the library.