Week Calendar

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

The Des Moines Fire Department is joining us for a special storytime during Fire Prevention Week! Hear stories, learn about fire safety, and see a fire engine up close!

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

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

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.

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

The Des Moines Fire Department is joining us for a special storytime during Fire Prevention Week! Hear stories, learn about fire safety, and see a fire engine up close!

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.

The Des Moines Fire Department is joining us for a special story time during Fire Prevention Week! Hear stories, do a craft, learn about fire safety, and see a fire engine up close!

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!

The Des Moines Fire Department is joining us for a special storytime during Fire Prevention Week!  Meet fire fighters, hear stories, learn more about fire safety, and see a fire truck up close! 

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

Are you turning 65 or planning for retirement? Join us for a helpful session designed to guide you through the Medicare Open Enrollment process and answer your questions.

What you’ll learn:

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.

All aboard! 

Visit the library to explore a massive model train display by the DesMoiNTrak Modular Railroad Club!

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 craft at Forest! Use the provided supplies and instructions to create a woven tapestry on a cardboard loom to take home. Stop by anytime between 12–5 PM. Fun for all ages 8 and up.

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.

Join other women who are practicing their English in this casual conversation group. We will chat, share coffee, and learn together in this group moderated by a Forest Avenue Library staff member.

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.

Love puzzles? Have puzzles at home that you've done and loved but won't do again?

Come to the South Side Library Meeting Room and exchange your beloved puzzles for new to you ones! We're having a good old fashioned puzzle swap!

Join us for a movie watch party! This month we are watching Frankenwenie.

Using fall and Halloween as inspiration, we’ll decorate edible works of art with frosting! Get creative and enjoy your sweet masterpieces. Supplies and snacks provided.

October 7, 14, 21, 28

Do you love to craft? Come make a collage using incomplete puzzles and other spare crafting supples or bring your current piece and make some progress! 

Registration recommended.

Music, movement, games, and activities - everyone’s invited! Join the fun at an ASAP Dance Party and dance your heart out. Snack provided for all participants. 

October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29.
 

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.

Join ASAP Teaching Artist Cameron Solen to create sensational sculptures! Transform repurposed and upcycled materials into imaginative three-dimensional works of art.

The Des Moines Fire Department is joining us for a special story time during Fire Prevention Week! Hear stories, do a craft, learn about fire safety, and see a fire engine up close!

It's game on after school at North Side! Hang out in the meeting room with snacks and a wide variety of games. Play Nintendo Switch on the big screen, or enjoy checkers, Connect 4, Exploding Kittens, and more!

Earn volunteer hours by assisting with library programs and projects! Teens ages 12 to 18 can drop in any open Wednesday and volunteer for one hour.

If you're between the ages of 12-18 and looking for a fun and rewarding volunteer opportunity, give the library a try! We would love to have your help!

Join sewing instructor Kaitlyn Munro on Wednesdays in October for a five-week Beginners Sewing program focused on hand-sewing basics. This program is for students in grades 4–8.

Get creative at North Side! Drop-in on Wednesdays to enjoy our large cart of art supplies.

Join ASAP to create amazing art projects with thread, yarn, and wool! Explore techniques like wet felting, embroidery, knitting, and patch-making while crafting one-of-a-kind creations.

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.

The Des Moines Fire Department is joining us for a special storytime during Fire Prevention Week! Hear stories, learn about fire safety, and see a fire engine up close!

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

Stefanie Nelson, the founder of the Psychic Bureau of Iowa, is a paralegal by trade but paranormal investigation is her passion.

Learn how to cook different cuisines from around the world with CultureALL ambassadors!

Join the Des Moines Public Library & Latinx Immigrants of Iowa to make paper flowers and other decorations for a Day of the Dead ofrenda, which will be on display at the Central Library from October 28 through November 2.

Design your own spooky haunted house and bring it to life using LED stickers and lights from our STEAM cart.

Join award-winning author Carol Roh Spaulding for a conversation about her work and writing journey.

Join the Des Moines Public Library & Latinx Immigrants of Iowa to make paper flowers and other decorations for a Day of the Dead ofrenda, which will be on display at the Central Library from October 28 through November 2.

Join us at Forest for a book club and pizza party just for tweens! Each month features a new book exploring different genres, formats, and topics.

Join us once a month to discuss books by underrepresented authors. Our goal is to amplify these voices and experiences while discussing social issues in the context of fiction and non-fiction books.

Amanda Jones is an American librarian and anti-censorship advocate. Jones has been heavily involved in anti-book-banning movements throughout the US.