West Des Moines Public Library
4000 Mills Civic Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50265
United States
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
by Melissa Gillespie, WDM Library Board of Trustees
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.
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
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!
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 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.
What do the novels Water for Elephants, The Night Circus, Fangirl and
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.
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.
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!