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.

Are you searching for a new job, having trouble navigating a website, or looking to learn a new digital skill? Goodwill is at the library to help!

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.

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.

Are you searching for a new job, having trouble navigating a website, or looking to learn a new digital skill? Goodwill is at the library to help!

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!

Stop by Franklin Ave Library and learn how to use DMPL’s digital resources like Libby, Consumer Reports, Kanopy, and newspapers.

Join us for indoor Park-N-Play, hosted by the City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation department on Thursday mornings in the Franklin Avenue Library meeting room.

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

Are you searching for a new job, having trouble navigating a website, or looking to learn a new digital skill? Goodwill is at the library to help!

Bring your young ones to our Little Explorers program, designed for children ages 0-5, to discover, learn and play! Activities will help build early literacy skills through the five Simple Steps: Read, Write, Sing, Play, Talk.

Join us for a drop-in event for all ages. Come in, get cozy, and choose from a variety of games or puzzles to play with friends!

January's selection is The Names by Florence Knapp.

Connect with area organizations for resources. Community advocates will provide information about community resources like meal sites and shelters.

Join us on the 2nd Monday of every month for our book club. Enjoy good books, great discussions, and meet fellow book lovers. Snacks and coffee are provided! 

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.

Join us for South Side's Monthly Book Discussion! This month we're celebrating everything we read in 2025 with a potluck!

Book Discussion books are first come first served during the monthly book discussion meeting.

Join us for indoor Park-N-Play, hosted by the City of Des Moines Parks and Recreation department on Monday afternoons in the East Side Library meeting room. Drop in and enjoy toys, games, crafts, and activities for families at no cost.

Use your fantastic imagination to create castles, fairy houses, dragon eggs and more with a professional ASAP artist. A snack will be provided for all participants.

Aprons on, culinary kids! Kids will team up with an ASAP teaching artist to make a new delicious recipe each week. All supplies and snacks are provided, making this a fun and flavorful hands-on experience for young chefs.

Join the fun at Chess Club! Chess is one of the world's most popular games and is played by millions of people worldwide. This is a drop-in program where resources will be available to learn to play or come to test your skills with other players.

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!

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

This class celebrates the process of artmaking as much as the final piece. Each week offers new techniques and mediums that create true art adventures. An ASAP teaching artist leads the class and supports every young creator.

Are you a fan of graphic novels? Join us for our EPIC Graphic Novel BOOK CLUB for kids ages 7-11. We will have a brief discussion about this month's book followed by fun activities and crafts related to the book!

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. 

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 third Thursday of each month to play, but

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!

November's film selection is Roman Holiday (1953). Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn star in William Wyler's classic romantic comedy.

Drop in and spend an evening creating something new while enjoying the company of local crafters. In January, fold old book pages into flower designs to create an origami bouquet.

Broaden your perspective, find new strategies for handling life’s challenges, or deepen your understanding of a topic when you join us for a monthly conversation around a life-changing nonfiction book. 

☕ Warm up your winter evening with a good story and a cup of chai! Families are invited to enjoy engaging storytelling and authentic chai prepared by Gurwinder Kapur, a local cultural educator.