Library News

The WDM Public Library is proud to partner with the American Heart Association on their "Libraries with Heart" initiative. Through this program, patrons can now check out one of three Blood Pressure Monitor kits to track their heart health. 

Each kit includes: 

The WDM Public Library’s collection of STEM Kits for learning have always hovered around 60 items to check out. Now, we’ve been able to expand our offerings to over 130! Not only are the Learning Kits fun for kids to play with, but they are curated to focus on ‘sneaky learning’ objectives such as early literacy skills, dramatic play, fine and gross motor skills, and early math concepts.

The West Des Moines Public Library is excited to be participating in Sensory Spaces with other Metro area libraries. During these designated times, each Sensory Space library will offer special hours for members of the public who appreciate a sensory-friendly environment. The next Sensory Space time at the West Des Moines Public Library will be on Sunday, October 8 from 1:00 - 2:00 PM

West Des Moines Public Library is proud to partner with Des Moines Public Library and Polk County Early Childhood Iowa to bring the Simple Steps early literacy program to West Des Moines. Patrons of the WDM Public Library will notice the incorporation of Simple Steps in our storytime events and see Simple Steps Early Literacy Stations popping up around the West Des Moines community.

The West Des Moines Public Library recently worked with Midwest Pano, LLC to create a virtual tour of our building. Take a virtual walk around our Library and explore everything there is to offer. Be sure to check out "hotspots" like the welcome message below located throughout the tour. Click to find key areas and learn more about the programs and services offered to the community. You can also use the menu on the side panel to direct your search to specific areas of the building.

"Can you recommend a good book?" This is a question we hear often at the Adult Services desk. Sometimes it's a tough one to answer, as everyone's tastes vary. So we decided to answer this question in the form of a display. Following up on the success of the Blind Date with a Book display we did in February, the Good Books program asks you to take a chance on a wrapped book. The twist this time is that each of the books on these shelves was considered "good" by a well-known source. 

Iowa’s unemployment rates are very low, and that means lots of opportunity for job seekers! If you are looking for work, or considering a career change, it’s a great time to brush up on your job skills.

We’ll be offering a Job Smarts series all through March that focuses on how to get that dream job. You’ll learn how to find a job listing, how to create a strong resume that showcases your skills, and how to ace an interview.

You can attend one program or attend them all!  

Represent your favorite neighborhood library in our WDM Public Library merchandise! All proceeds will directly support the West Des Moines Library Friends Foundation.

There are t-shirts, long sleeved t-shirts, and crewnecks available for purchase with our "Embrace the Joy of Reading" design on them. 

One of the newest offerings to the community at the West Des Moines Public Library is Tech Help with Teens—a program designed to pair trained teen technicians with library patrons who have specific questions about technology. Each teen assistant is trained on both Apple and Android products and can help answer questions on smart phones, tablets, and laptops.

In This Day and Page is a new podcast created by the West Des Moines Public Library with the goal of sharing all the different library resources, services, and programs we offer! Through staff and community member interviews, join us as we explore the ins and outs of the library world. Look out for a new episode every Monday on all major podcast platforms.

Two of our most regularly used programs at the West Des Moines Public Library are the Senior Outreach and Homebound Delivery services. These programs were created to give WDM residents who have difficulty coming into the library access to library materials, no matter their living situation.

The Homebound Delivery service has been around for over twenty years and has been utilized by hundreds of patrons. In 2020, library staff and volunteers selected and delivered materials monthly to an average of 50 patrons in individual homes. 

The WDM Public Library is thrilled to now offer ABCmouse.com, an online early learning resource, to our patrons. The award-winning ABCmouse curriculum is designed to help young children (ages 2-8+) build a strong foundation for future academic success. ABCmouse is 100% educational, with more than 10,000 learning activities (books, puzzles, educational games, art activities, songs, etc.) across all major subject areas—reading, math, science, social studies, art, and music. Over 1,000 of these learning activities are in Spanish.

From Carol Grant, Secretary, WDM Library Board of Trustees:

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait for the West Des Moines library to reopen.  Two reasons…first, it’s been a year since Covid squelched my ability to leisurely browse the stacks. Secondly, I can’t wait to see (and experience) the final results of the renovations that have taken place over the past 20 months.

Curbside Pickup of holds is available during our Renovation Closure. 

As of 4/8/2021, we have EXPANDED Curbside Hours!  These will continue until we reopen in late April.

Hours for Curbside during Closure:  

     Monday - Thursday, 9am - 7pm

     Friday - Saturday,  10am - 2pm

To Use Curbside: 

In late December our new children's book shelves were full to capacity, so we asked our readers via social media to help us get them out into circulation and you responded! We have heard you and your desire for book bundles for kids and we are delighted to roll out this new service. Here's what you need to know: