Library News

Congratulations to the Lambda finalists of 2022! The Annual Lambda Literary Awards celebrate and recognize exceptional LGBTQ+ literature. Over 60 literary professionals selected finalists for each of the 24 total categories. Winning books will be announced June 11, 2022.

In the meantime, here are the YA finalists!

Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating by Adiba Jaigirdar

by Bryan Myers, WDM Library Board of Trustees

Franklin D Roosevelt said, “I have an unshaken conviction that democracy can never be undermined if we maintain our library resources and a national intelligence capable of utilizing them.”  This still rings true today; the quality of our community in total is directly correlated to the quality of our public library and I, though not a librarian, take a direct part in maintaining that quality as a library Trustee.

The 94th Academy Awards presentation is scheduled for Sunday, March 27 at 7pm on ABC.  There's still time to watch all of the films before the presentation!  See our list below including links to our catalog for DVDs to checkout.

In the spirit of March Madness, the WDM Public Library is hosting our own bracket challenge: but with books! We've pulled the top titles in four "divisions": Adult, Young Adult, Picture Books, and Juvenile. Each week, we'll open a new survey to vote your favorite books onto the finals and ultimately crown the Best Book! 

Thank you all for your participation! We're excited to announce that the winner is...

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig!

The West Des Moines Public Library is partnering with DART to celebrate Read Across America Week! Use your library card to ride FREE on DART’s Local and Express routes, On Call service and DART On Demand February 27 – March 5.

Beginning March 12, 2022, The Des Moines Register will transition from delivering the Saturday print edition to providing subscribers with a full Saturday electronic edition (e-Edition).

Patrons will still be able to access the Saturday paper online via our website. The digital archives of The Des Moines Register are available from 2005 - present.

Wanting to watch the 2022 Academy Award Nominated films before the Oscars air on Sunday, March 27? See which films you can check out from the West Des Moines Public Library and where you can stream others. 

BEST PICTURE NOMINATIONS

The library wants to know what you need and how they can help! Please complete this quick, anonymous survey to let your voice count. 

This February, take a chance on love! 

In the new book section on the second floor, you'll find shelves of books wrapped in paper. Take a book home without knowing its title, and see if you find a good match. Here's how it works:

1. Read the opening line of the book, or explore the read-a-likes, genre and hand drawn pictures to select your date. No peeking!

2. Check out the book by placing it on the self check scanner or checking out at the Circulation desk - no need to unwrap the book now! 

Congratulations to the authors and illustrators who have been recognized by the American Library Association (ALA) as Youth Media Award winners! Each year the ALA honors books, videos, and other outstanding materials for children and teens. These prestigious awards include the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards. Selected by committees composed of librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards "encourage original and creative work in the field of children’s and young adult literature and media." 

As much as staff enjoy a good novel, we also like to learn and laugh with some of the great nonfiction in our collection.

Do you ever find yourself wondering, “have I read this before?” Or, “what was that book my friend mentioned?”

A book journal is a fun way to track what you’re reading and remember what you want to read next. If your New Year’s resolution is to read more, a book journal is a great way to stay motivated!

Some people keep a simple list of titles, while others like to illustrate their journals or include their favorite quotes to reflect on later.

As we reflect on 2021, we would like to take time to remember the authors and public figures who left us this year. Our list below just scratches the surface. View more notable deaths on comprehensive lists from The New York Times and Entertainment Weekly to look back at more iconic individuals who passed this year. 

Each year, we like to ask the staff what their favorite reads have been. This year, we asked about movies and television as well - look for that in a future post! 

Many of our fiction lovers were passionate about the favorite books they read this year:

Ever wonder what the most popular books in the library are during the year? Here's the breakdown of the top 10 most circulated items in adult fiction, young adult fiction and children's fiction! 

Adult Fiction: 

1. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune