Come see pieces of Des Moines' past at the North Side Library!
Filled with vintage photographs, turn of the century yearbooks, menus from area restaurants, and items from Hi-Lan Dairy, our memorabilia room provides a closer look into the area's historical events. Children and teens can stop by after school to surf the net, do homework, or get clued in on our upcoming teen and children's events throughout the year. We also feature two new two-person study rooms that are available for studying and tutoring.

Toddlers can also get involved at North Side with our story time Tuesdays in the morning, available to children ages 3 to 6.

Renovation
The North Side Library was extensively renovated in 2007 at a cost of $678,379. The project was funded by a public/private partnership between the City of Des Moines and the Des Moines Public Library Foundation.

Want to get a public or community group together?
Call the library at 515.283.4152 to reserve our newly renovated meeting room and stop by again to see our exciting author events and presentations.

North Side Library History
Collection Photos»

There has been a long tradition of library service to the north side of the city of Des Moines. The first library in the Highland Park area was established in 1919 on the southwest corner of 6th and Euclid. Between 1919 and 1924, the library changed its location three times--all along 6th Avenue.

In 1924, the city of Des Moines purchased the William H. Woods home at 3516 5th Avenue. The North Side Library was located in this home until 1976. In 1976, the library moved to a site in the Park Fair Shopping Center.

In 1984, the library moved to its present facility built at the location of the Woods home. The new building was dedicated on December 21, 1984 and opened for the public the following day. In 1995, a major reorganization expanded the children's section and reference area.

To celebrate the new century, in the year 2000, the North Side Library staff, Friends of the North Side Library, and numerous other individual contributors established a Millennium book collection and a Parks Area Heritage collection. In May of 2001, the North Side Library received a Loren Horton Community History Award from the State Historical Society of Iowa for its outstanding contribution to the preservation of local community history. Collection photos are also featured on this website.