West Des Moines Public Library
4000 Mills Civic Pkwy
West Des Moines, IA 50265
United States
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.
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!
Children's
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.
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?”.
Reviewed by Claire, a Teen Advisory Board Member
“Proud: Living My American Dream” by Ibtihaj Muhammad is an inspiring memoir written by an Olympic medalist and fencer that details her life journey and how her faith, family, and determination propelled her toward success.