Though COVID-19 continues to impact our services and physical locations, we are working hard to provide our community access to the information and assistance they need through our online services. Throughout the pandemic, we've added more services and grown our digital library in order to keep up with need and demand.
This page is a portal to those online services - a one-stop shop to learn how to apply for a card, borrow eBooks and eAudiobooks, take online courses, watch streaming movies, learn new languages, and more.
Check out the links below, including everything new that we've added in recent weeks. Let us know if you have any questions!
Get a Digital Card
Don't have a Des Moines Public Library card? Sign up for a digital card! These cards will give you access to our digital collection throughout our public closure. If you need to have your card renewed, email our digital staff.
New Digital Services!
We've been busy bolstering our digital library and services for you during this challenging time. The Audiobook Cloud, Romance Book Cloud, and Teen Book Cloud have hundreds of eBooks and eAudiobooks available with no holds, not wait times, and no residency restrictions.
If you're missing live art and theatre, check out Medici.TV! It's the leading video streaming service for classical music, opera and dance. We've also been reallocating resources to add more to our digital collections on Libby and RBDigital.
In addition to The New York Times, you can now have free digital access to The Washington Post with your library card!
eBooks and eAudiobooks
- Get full details by checking out our eBook and eAudiobook guide.
- Check out Libby for eBooks and eAudiobooks, including the Always Available Audiobooks and Always Available Classics - no holds and no wait times for those collections.*
- RBDigital has tons of eAudiobooks, including digital exclusives*
- The Audiobook Cloud, Romance Book Cloud, and Teen Book Cloud are brand new, and with hundreds of titles, you should never run out of reading material.
- The TumbleBook Library is full of great items for kids and families, including read-along books, puzzles, games, and more.
News and Information
It's important to keep up with all the latest news right now. That's why we offer free digital access to The New York Times and The Washington Post with your Des Moines Public Library card. No more paywalls and article limits. It's simple to begin - just click on the links to learn more.
Streaming Video
Relax and watch a movie or a new show, kick back with a live concert, and learn about nutrition, history, and more with all our streaming video options - free with your Des Moines Public Library card!
- Kanopy has tens of thousands of films - from award-winning modern movies to cinematic classics to the best of international and independent film. Plus, Kanopy Kids offers unlimited educational streaming TV shows, documentaries, and classic children's books.*
- Acorn TV offers the best in British television, with world-class mysteries, dramas, and comedies from Britain and beyond, including a full slate of original and exclusive programming.*
- Get a front row seat to concerts and award-winning documentaries by using Stingray Qello, with concert films featuring Beyoncé, Adele, Fleetwood Mac, Queen, and many others.*
- The Great Courses is a great way to keep your mind sharp and learn something you've never had time to learn before. Check out our blog about some of the courses available.*
- Pongalo - Vea más de 10,000 episodios de sus telenovelas y series de televisión favoritas, además de películas de América Latina, España, y EE. UU., ¡100% en español y a la carta!*
- Enjoy over 7,000 high-quality shorts, features, documentaries, classic TV shows and Web series from 85 countries with IndieFlix.*
- Medici.TV has hundreds of videos featuring operas, classical concerts, ballets, and more.
Learn a Language
Did you know the Des Moines Public Library offers a free language learning program? Mango offers more than 70 languages with an easy-to-use lesson structure that allows you to learn at your own pace. You can use Mango on your phone, tablet, or desktop computer.
Storytimes, Songs, and Crafts
Our librarians have been hard at work while at home. Our Facebook videos page has lots of full storytimes, fun at-home STEM experiments, and lots of songs to sing along too at home.
Digital Databases
Don't forget about all our regular free online resources that are still available! Use Consumer Reports to help guide you on purchases like appliances and children's safety products. Find yourself and all your old friends on our Des Moines high school yearbooks page. Check out America's Genealogy Bank to trace your ancestor's history. All that and more is free to check out on our databases page.
Boredom Busters
Kids and adults alike will love our Boredom Busters page, full of free, fun at-home activities, including crafts, games, puzzles, and more. Check out our regular Boredom Busters page for families, as well as our special Adult Boredom Busters page.
New Blogs
We've been busy adding blogs with book lists and guides throughout the past couple months. Check out the list below!
- The Most Popular Items During Self-Isolation
- 5 Authors You Can Only Find on RBDigital
- Armchair Travel Book Picks
- Family-Friendly Audiobooks
- Gettin' Cozy with 15 Great Reads
- Stay Laughing While Social Distancing: 13 Books to Read Right Now
- Seven Things to Watch on Kanopy Kids
- Keep Learning with the Great Courses
- The DMPL Guide to eBooks and eAudiobooks
*Residency restrictions apply. You must live in Des Moines or rural Polk County to use these services through the Des Moines Public Library.