Library News
![Patron Needs Survey](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2022-01/PatronSurveyLogoUpdate.png?itok=0XsBrXkD)
WDM Library Patron Needs Survey
The library wants to know what you need and how they can help! Please complete this quick, anonymous survey to let your voice count.
![Most Popular 2021](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-12/MostPopularCombined.png?itok=i_XHym71)
Most Popular Books of 2021: Adult, Young Adult, Children's
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
![2022 Strategic Plan](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-11/Library%20Board%20Reflection%202022%20Strategic%20Plan.png?itok=S-_wO5o1)
Library Board Reflection: Creating the 2022 Strategic Plan
by Melissa Gillespie, WDM Library Board of Trustees
![t-shirt fundraiser](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-11/FundraiserSlider%20%28Video%29.png?itok=iHC1hTGF)
Library Apparel Fundraiser Now Open!
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.
![Thankful Thursday](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-11/ThankfulThursdayStaff.png?itok=z8iI3uW_)
Thankful Thursday from the Library Staff
We asked our library staff to share what they were most thankful about the West Des Moines Public Library. Explore their answers below!
"I am thankful for the families who make the library a regular part of their routine. We so enjoy getting to know them and their children and it is a privilege to get to watch the children grow up!" – Jenna
![Job Search](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-11/Stressing%20Over%20the%20Job%20Search.png?itok=rDNKGQD6)
Stressing Over the Job Search? The WDM Library is Here to Help!
Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed with your job search? Do you want to polish up your resume or write a cover letter but aren’t sure where to start? Wondering how you can build some computer skills without figuring out where to take a class? The Library can help you with all of this and more!
![Tech Help with Teens](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-09/TechHelpIcon.png?itok=oWGi6jhn)
WDM Library Partners with Community to Offer Teen Tech Help
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.
![November 1](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-10/AdobeStock_228038102.jpeg?itok=qwHPrJ7U)
Registration Required for Youth Events Starting November 1
In response to high attendance levels at youth programs at the WDM Library, we will now require registration in advance for all storytimes and other events for youth starting November 1. Registration for all November programs and events for youth will open on Monday, November 1 at 9:00 AM. You may register online using our calendar, call 515-222-3405, or stop by the Children’s Desk on or after November 1 for assistance.
![Image of a book wall](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2020-12/books-1655783_960_720.jpg?itok=S3KVyGSn)
November is National Novel Writing Month!
What do the novels Water for Elephants, The Night Circus, Fangirl and
![Squid Game Read-Alikes](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-10/READ%20ALIKES%20%281%29.png?itok=dLxMlYcu)
Loved Squid Game? Here's what you should read next
Everyone's talking about Squid Game and for good reason: it's utterly impossible to stop watching. Squid Game is not new. Sure, the series is quite new, but the script was written more than a decade ago, in 2007. Hwang Dong-hyuk wrote it with inspiration from books like Liar Game or Battle Royale. He has never imagined the story would gain so much notoriety, fearing people would find it a bit weird and hard to understand. He failed to realize that his story would perfectly match today's society.
![Indigenous Peoples Day](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-10/Indegenous%20Peoples%20Day.jpeg?itok=9weO8epr)
Indigenous People's Day
![BN Book Fair](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-10/BNBookFair.png?itok=hV-OdH5V)
Support the WDM Library on October 13 During Barnes & Noble Book Fair!
Stop by the Jordan Creek Mall Barnes & Noble on October 13th to support the library during our B&N Book Fair! In order for the portion of your sales to go to the Friends of the Library Foundation, you'll need to mention that you're supporting the library before you start your purchase.
![Autumn Staff Picks](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-10/Autumn%20Staff%20Picks.png?itok=QV_PSwgk)
Autumn Staff Picks
Whether you're a fan of a cozy read or a spooky read to bring you into the fall season, our library staff has you covered! We've narrowed down our favorite books with fall vibes for kids, young adults, and adults below. Let us know if you end up reading any of our suggestions!
![Wanted Banned Books](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-09/WantedDisplay.png?itok=i3xJJzuq)
Celebrating Banned Books Week | September 26 - October 2, 2021
Each year, the West Des Moines Public Library celebrates Banned Books Week to honor the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Librarians, booksellers, publishers, journalists, teachers, and readers of all types come together during this week to support the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or unpopular.
![old books](/sites/default/files/styles/blog_teaser/public/2021-09/gabriella-clare-marino-Hx8HaI4ERkA-unsplash_600w.jpg?itok=S4lI0lSm)
Library Board Reflection: Do They Still Have Libraries?
by Ray Seidelman, Secretary, WDM Library Board of Trustees
Talking with a friend soon after I was appointed to the West Des Moines Library Board of Trustees in 2019, I expressed how excited I was to serve such a dynamic community institution. He met my enthusiasm with, “that’s great…but do they still have libraries?”.