We are proud to partner with these local businesses and organizations to bring literary events and opportunities to our community. We encourage you to support them as well!
Annie’s Foundation
Founded by suburban moms in 2022 in response to attempted book bans in their school district, Annie’s Foundation’s mission is to ensure that members of our community have unhindered access to books and characters that reflect the diversity and complexity of the world around them. In one short year, Annie’s Foundation has handed out nearly 4,000 banned and challenged books; filled Little Free Libraries with hundreds of books; and advocated for the freedom to read at every level of the government, from local school boards to the State Legislature. Be sure to stop by one of Annie’s Foundation’s frequent Banned Book Giveaways in the Des Moines Metro!
Beaverdale Fall Festival
The biggest neighborhood happening of the year is no doubt the Beaverdale Fall Festival, and we are looking forward to this year’s event. We are proud to be a sponsor and enjoy having so many people celebrate our community. Don’t miss the fun!
Beaverdale Neighborhood Association
We are members of the Beaverdale Neighborhood Association and the place to get your BNA merchandise (hats, tee shirts, and more!) and yard signs, as well as tickets for the Beaverdale Garden Walk and Beaverdale Tour of Homes. One of our favorite events is hosting Santa for storytime during the Beaverdale Holiday Happenings in December. The Association works hard to make our neighborhood a strong and vibrant community, and we’re especially grateful for their support.
Boesen the Florist
Celebrating a new baby or sending Get Well wishes? Include a book with your bouquet! New parents will appreciate an addition to baby’s library, and a book for someone recuperating from an injury or illness is always good medicine. We have provided a curated selection of titles that you can easily add to your flower order.
Boesen the Florist has provided exceptional floral design, Garden Center plants and superior service to customers in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, and the surrounding areas since 1923.
Broads and Books
Broads and Books is the funny and feminist book podcast – your weekly date with two Broads who love books as much as they love embarrassing stories and crackpot business ideas. Every Wednesday, Amy and Erin pick one theme, then choose and discuss two novels, two other genre books, and two pop culture picks based on that theme. Listeners will laugh, think, and find things they’re going to love.
Make it a weekly date! We have a display in the store featuring the recommended books for each month. Listeners receive a 10% discount.
Des Moines Area Community College
The Celebration of Literary Arts Festival was initiated at DMACC in conjunction with the National Poetry Festival. The purpose of this celebration is to bring noted fiction and poetry writers from around the country to the six DMACC campuses to read their works and interact with students. Central to the festival is the idea that writers can be published and that one can indeed make a living as a professional writer or professional writer/faculty member. In addition to readings on campus, the visiting writers read at Beaverdale Books. Another highlight of the evening is the unveiling of Expressions, the student art and literary publication.
Des Moines Public Library
The Des Moines Public Library’s Authors Visiting in Des Moines (AViD) series has been bringing acclaimed, best-selling authors to Des Moines for free events for more than two decades. Among the authors who have shared their stories with library audiences are Susan Orlean, Rebecca Skloot, Erik Larson, Tayari Jones, Amy Tan, and dozens more. The Library Foundation also hosts the annual Iowa Author Awards Dinner each fall. Authors with Iowa connections who have been honored in the past include Bill Bryson, John Irving, and Jane Smiley, to name a few. If authors are your rock stars, you know how fortunate we are to have such exciting literary events right here in our fair city.
DSM Book Festival
The DSM Book Festival connects people who love books with people who create them. The Festival features nationally acclaimed authors, hands-on workshops, children’s activities and more. Beaverdale Books is pleased to be the official bookseller for this event. The next chapter will begin on Saturday, March 25, 2023. We’ll see you there!
Happy DSM
Happy DSM moved into the Beaverdale neighborhood in August of 2020 as an online gift shop (due to the pandemic) offering curated gift boxes for all occasions. Happy Birthday, Happy Baby, Happy Hour…you get the idea. You can shop online at happydsm.com or walk-ins are welcome at the Happy Headquarters located at 2651 Beaver Avenue. They love finding unique products and collaborating with local brands, and you will find several books in their inventory from Beaverdale Books.
John Shors Travel
Books can transport us anywhere, but have you ever wondered what it would be like to actually visit a favorite literary location? Consider joining Des Moines native, best-selling author, and traveler extraordinaire John Shors on a custom-designed tour. Plans are in the works for trips to Southeast Asia and other countries that have been the settings of his many novels.
Libro.fm
Sometimes it’s just better/easier to listen to a book, and we’ve got you covered. Libro.fm partners with local bookstores to offer audiobooks you can listen to anytime, anywhere. It’s simple to create an account and designate the bookstore you want to support. The bookstore then receives a portion of the sale. They have a vast inventory of audiobooks, so you’ll be ready to go whether you’re in the car, on the treadmill, or just prefer to listen.
Meadow BlazingStar Honey
We are proud to sell honey from Meadow BlazingStar, produced right here in Central Iowa. In fact, it’s one of our best-selling items — pairs well with a nice romance novel. We regularly stock 1lb and 2lb sizes and can easily order other items (we have an “in” with the owner). During the holiday season, we also carry beeswax candles and other items. Sweet!
Okoboji Writers’ Retreat
Poetry &
Beaverdale Books is proud to be a partner with Poetry &, a group of accomplished Central Iowa women poets, professors, publicists, publishers, and philanthropists dedicated to celebrating poetry. Since their first gathering, they have participated in pop up poetry events including Art Week 2022, Poetry in the Park, and Poetry on the Prairie in Perry.
Next up is Poetry Palooza! which will be held April 6-8 featuring a poetry slam and poetry performances by an amazing array of nationally recognized poets. All events are free and open to the public. For additional details or reservations for Poetry Palooza! go to www.poetryamp.org.
Supply Hive
Beaverdale Books is proud to be a partner with Supply Hive, a nonprofit that promotes physical, mental and spiritual health, while emphasizing sustainability in caring for the earth, ourselves, and within the movement for social justice.
Beaverdale Books is a drop-off site for their Period Poverty project which focuses on the phenomenon of people being unable to afford period products for their menstrual cycles.
In Iowa, 1 out of 6 people who menstruate between 12 and 44 years old live below the poverty line. On average 25% of menstruating teens in Iowa have missed school due to a lack of access to period supplies
Providing period supplies to those in need means people are able to get an education, go to their jobs, spend less money, and feel better about their health and wellness!
