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Photo of hummingbird on flower; date/time of program

"Get Growing” with the Budding Optimist - Gardening is for the Birds

Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults
Transform your garden into a haven for feathered friends! Join Sarah Wood, the Budding Optimist, and discover how to design and maintain a multi-season garden that provides food, shelter, and nesting opportunities for birds year-round.
Upcoming
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Registration Required
Event Details:
Transform your garden into a haven for feathered friends! Join Sarah Wood, the Budding Optimist, and discover how to design and maintain a multi-season garden that provides food, shelter, and nesting opportunities for birds year-round.
dark blue logo with gold stars and gold dragon

Otherworlds: Frak Yeah! A Battlestar Galactica Retrospective

Thursday, April 2, 2026 at 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Book Club, Program
Age Group:
Adults

So say we all! Join us this month for a deep dive into the universe of Battlestar Galactica, comparing the 1978 original series with its critically acclaimed 2004 reboot.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Book Club, Program
Event Details:

So say we all! Join us this month for a deep dive into the universe of Battlestar Galactica, comparing the 1978 original series with its critically acclaimed 2004 reboot.

tech one on one saturday poster

Tech One-on-One

Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 10:00am - 10:30am
Millie Knee Classroom at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Tech One-on-One 

Open
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Millie Knee Classroom
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Registration Required
Event Details:

Tech One-on-One 

tech one on one saturday poster

Tech One-on-One

Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 10:30am - 11:00am
Millie Knee Classroom at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Tech One-on-One 

Open
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Millie Knee Classroom
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Registration Required
Event Details:

Tech One-on-One 

tech one on one saturday poster

Tech One-on-One

Saturday, April 4, 2026 at 11:00am - 11:30am
Millie Knee Classroom at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Tech One-on-One 

Open
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Millie Knee Classroom
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Registration Required
Event Details:

Tech One-on-One 

graphic of brain; date/time of program

AI and the Human Future

Monday, April 6, 2026 at 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Is AI on your mind more these days? Please join us for this presentation, which focuses on the big moral and political issues surrounding artificial intelligence. What exactly is AI?

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Event Details:

Is AI on your mind more these days? Please join us for this presentation, which focuses on the big moral and political issues surrounding artificial intelligence. What exactly is AI?

logo for group; Inner Child Discussion Group

Inner Child: Playful Words & Powerful Rhymes: A Journey Through Children’s Poetry

Tuesday, April 7, 2026 at 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Book Club, Program
Age Group:
Adults

Whether you grew up with Mother Goose or Shel Silverstein, children’s poetry is more than just whimsical rhymes and silly verses—it’s a rich literary tradition that captures wonder, emotion, and imaginatio

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Book Club, Program
Event Details:

Whether you grew up with Mother Goose or Shel Silverstein, children’s poetry is more than just whimsical rhymes and silly verses—it’s a rich literary tradition that captures wonder, emotion, and imaginatio

photo of man and woman; dates and times of programs

Empowered Aging: Knowledge for Every Stage: Continuing Care at Home Programs

Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 10:00am - 11:00am
Millie Knee Classroom at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Join us for Empowered Aging: Knowledge for Every Stage, a three-part series designed to help you navigate the many options for aging with confidence.

Upcoming
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Millie Knee Classroom
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Registration Required
Event Details:

Join us for Empowered Aging: Knowledge for Every Stage, a three-part series designed to help you navigate the many options for aging with confidence.

YA Not Club Read logo

YA Not Club Read

Thursday, April 9, 2026 at 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Book Club
Age Group:
Adults

Are you a "Grown Up" but you like to read Young Adult books?  Are you looking for a book club that doesn’t take itself too seriously?  Then YA Not join us for YA Not Club Read!

Open
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Book Club
Registration Required
Event Details:

Are you a "Grown Up" but you like to read Young Adult books?  Are you looking for a book club that doesn’t take itself too seriously?  Then YA Not join us for YA Not Club Read!

English With Friends

Friday, April 10, 2026 at 10:00am - 11:00am
Southwoods Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Join us at the West Des Moines Public Library for English with Friends, a welcoming and informal conversation program.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Southwoods Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Event Details:

Join us at the West Des Moines Public Library for English with Friends, a welcoming and informal conversation program.

black/white background with date/time of event and library logo

WDM Writer's Group

Saturday, April 11, 2026 at 10:00am - 2:00pm
Southwoods Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

This in-person group is open to aspiring authors of all experience levels. Each participant brings an approximately 1500-word excerpt of their work-in-progress to read aloud.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Southwoods Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Event Details:

This in-person group is open to aspiring authors of all experience levels. Each participant brings an approximately 1500-word excerpt of their work-in-progress to read aloud.

Iowa Files: Colfax, the Spring City

Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 3:00pm - 4:00pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Underneath the ground lies Colfax’s best kept secret, the mineral water! In the 1870s, underground mineral water, which was a cure-all health craze at the time, was discovered in Colfax.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Event Details:

Underneath the ground lies Colfax’s best kept secret, the mineral water! In the 1870s, underground mineral water, which was a cure-all health craze at the time, was discovered in Colfax.

Image for Legacies

Legacies - A Discussion Group About Timeless Authors

Wednesday, April 15, 2026 at 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Millie Knee Classroom at Main Branch
Program Type:
Book Club
Age Group:
Adults

Would you like to read some of the great classics with others? Have you always wondered why some authors’ works seem to endure? Join us for Legacies, a program where we focus on a different timeless writer each month.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Millie Knee Classroom
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Book Club
Event Details:

Would you like to read some of the great classics with others? Have you always wondered why some authors’ works seem to endure? Join us for Legacies, a program where we focus on a different timeless writer each month.

Step Back in Time logo -light/dark blue

Step Back in Time: Historical Fiction book group

Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Outreach
Program Type:
Book Club
Age Group:
Adults

Historical fiction is a great way to learn about people and events through stories that bring history to life. Our group discusses titles from a wide variety of time/places/people.

Upcoming
Registration Required
Offsite Event
Library Branch: Outreach
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Book Club
Registration Required
Event Details:

Historical fiction is a great way to learn about people and events through stories that bring history to life. Our group discusses titles from a wide variety of time/places/people.

English With Friends

Friday, April 17, 2026 at 10:00am - 11:00am
Southwoods Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Join us at the West Des Moines Public Library for English with Friends, a welcoming and informal conversation program.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Southwoods Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Event Details:

Join us at the West Des Moines Public Library for English with Friends, a welcoming and informal conversation program.

tech one on one saturday poster

Tech One-on-One

Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 10:00am - 10:30am
Millie Knee Classroom at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Tech One-on-One 

Open
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Millie Knee Classroom
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Registration Required
Event Details:

Tech One-on-One 

tech one on one saturday poster

Tech One-on-One

Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 10:30am - 11:00am
Millie Knee Classroom at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Tech One-on-One 

Open
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Millie Knee Classroom
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Registration Required
Event Details:

Tech One-on-One 

tech one on one saturday poster

Tech One-on-One

Saturday, April 18, 2026 at 11:00am - 11:30am
Millie Knee Classroom at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Tech One-on-One 

Open
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Millie Knee Classroom
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Registration Required
Event Details:

Tech One-on-One 

light colored background and illustration of paint palette; date/time of program

Watercolor & Wind Down: A Free-Form Creative Session

Monday, April 20, 2026 at 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Craft
Age Group:
Adults

Take a break from the hustle and treat yourself to a relaxing, no-pressure art experience in this Crafting Unleashed program.

Upcoming
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Craft
Registration Required
Event Details:

Take a break from the hustle and treat yourself to a relaxing, no-pressure art experience in this Crafting Unleashed program.

Library Board of Trustees Monthly Meeting

Tuesday, April 21, 2026 at 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Board Meeting
Age Group:
Adults

Visit the Library Board of Trustees webpage for the meeting agenda and minutes from past meetings.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Board Meeting
Event Details:

Visit the Library Board of Trustees webpage for the meeting agenda and minutes from past meetings.

photo of bat; date/time of program

Discover the Night Flyers of Iowa

Thursday, April 23, 2026 at 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Teens, Adults

Join us for a fascinating journey into the world of bats! Learn about these mysterious and misunderstood creatures—their unique adaptations, vital role in ecosystems, and the myths that surround them. 

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Teens, Adults
Program Type: Program
Event Details:

Join us for a fascinating journey into the world of bats! Learn about these mysterious and misunderstood creatures—their unique adaptations, vital role in ecosystems, and the myths that surround them. 

English With Friends

Friday, April 24, 2026 at 10:00am - 11:00am
Southwoods Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

Join us at the West Des Moines Public Library for English with Friends, a welcoming and informal conversation program.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Southwoods Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Event Details:

Join us at the West Des Moines Public Library for English with Friends, a welcoming and informal conversation program.

black/white background with date/time of event and library logo

WDM Writer's Group

Saturday, April 25, 2026 at 10:00am - 2:00pm
Southwoods Room at Main Branch
Program Type:
Program
Age Group:
Adults

This in-person group is open to aspiring authors of all experience levels. Each participant brings an approximately 1500-word excerpt of their work-in-progress to read aloud.

Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Southwoods Room
Age Group: Adults
Program Type: Program
Event Details:

This in-person group is open to aspiring authors of all experience levels. Each participant brings an approximately 1500-word excerpt of their work-in-progress to read aloud.

Family Night logo

Family Night at the Library! - May Baskets!

Monday, April 27, 2026 at 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Community Room at Main Branch
Age Group:
Toddlers, Preschool, School-Age Children, Teens, Adults

Join Nate for a fun family activity! We'll be doing something different each month. Celebrate spring as we make our own paper May baskets!

Upcoming
Registration Required
Library Branch: Main Branch
Room: Community Room
Age Group: Toddlers, Preschool, School-Age Children, Teens, Adults
Registration Required
Event Details:

Join Nate for a fun family activity! We'll be doing something different each month. Celebrate spring as we make our own paper May baskets!