Library News

by Craig Long, Secretary, WDM Library Board of Trustees

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 95th Academy Awards presentation is scheduled for Sunday, March 12 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, the streaming service to watch online, or the theater where the movies are showing.  And, just for fun, here is a ballot from thegoldknight.com to vote for your favorites!  

This Valentine's, why not snuggle up with a loyal companion - a good book?

Find our Blind Date with a Book display on the second floor near the new books. Each wrapped book is a mystery - choose one based on the information we've given and take it home to unwrap and meet your date.

Inside, you'll find a bookmark asking you how you enjoyed your date! Fill it out and return it to the Valentine's boxes you'll find and Accounts and Checkout and Adult Services. Turn it in by noon on February 17 for a chance to win an amazing prize basket.

The grand prize includes:

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

1. The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

As we reflect on 2022, 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. 

Our library has a great selection of nonfiction! We asked staffers to share some of their outstanding reads from this year with you. Check out our nonfiction favorites, and next time you're in the building, stop by to see these books on display on the second floor.

Surrounded by great choices, it's no wonder many of the Library staff are big readers! We asked staffers to share some of their recent favorites with you. Check out the fiction list, and next time you're in the building, stop by to see these books on display on the second floor.

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.

When you want to find a book, you probably come to the library and look on our shelves. Or perhaps you use our online catalog to see whether we own a title. If you don’t see what you’re looking for, don’t stop there! In addition to our great print collection here in the library, you can access MILLIONS of titles through our library partnerships.

UPDATE: ALL computers are up and running! 

The public computers at the West Des Moines Public Library will be unavailable Wednesday, November 30 – Friday, December 2 while we complete essential technology upgrades. The fax machine and copiers will still be functional during this time. Please watch this space for any updates regarding this project.

The WDM Library Friends Foundation is proud to host the library’s biggest book sale of the year! Choose from hundreds of books at extremely affordable prices!

Join us on:

In December, we celebrated 175 years of Iowan statehood. Our remarkable history has been captured by many Iowans who've written works about their state. If you want to learn more about Iowa history and tradition, the Library's collection is a great place to start. Our collection features many unique works on Iowa history, in both print and ebook.

This year, the WDM Public Library embarked on a new strategic planning cycle to best position the library for community engagement and innovation from 2022 – 2027. With the help of local strategic planning firm, Bâton Global, we were able to develop a robust and thoughtful roadmap for the next five years that we are proud to share with our community.

Some of you might not know that our newest Teen Services Assistant, Sarah Allen, is also an author! We're super excited that the cover for her third book, The Nightmare House, has just been released. Learn more about Sarah and the book below. 

Tell us about your role here at the library and how long you’ve been here for!