Miss P. the Best in Show Beagle and the Doggy Dewey Decimal Number

Congratulations to Miss P., the adorable Beagle who was selected Best in Show last night at Westminster Dog Show. If looking at her cute little face doesn't make you want to run out and get a dog, I don't know what will. The library can help with that. Run directly to the shelves with the
Doggy Dewey Decimal number which is:
636.7
in libraries around the world that use the Dewey Decimal system. There you will find books on all breeds and on selecting, raising and training dogs.

For more Beagle mania, take a look at our post about Miss P.'s Grand-uncle Uno who won Best in Show in 2008: Uno the Beagle Wins Westminster Dog Show.

Miss P, (NBC photo of the Dog Show Winner)

Our Valentine's Day Conversation with the Library Computer

Why don't I just blog about romance books today?  Searches of the library OPAC (Online Public Access Computer, formerly known as the card catalog) tell us that:
# items (books+) in library with keyword 'Valentine' = 203
# items (books+) in library with keyword 'Valentine' upstairs only (ie: not kid's books) = 106
#DVD's in library with keyword 'Valentine' = 25
#books with keyword 'love' in library = too many to count. That query caused our online catalog to give up and answer '250', which is what it says when the number is larger than 250. It just gives up and expects the term to be narrowed or qualified in some way to bring the number below 250. Sometime it is difficult to 'heart' the library catalog. It is an ornery computer servant, like HAL, that has its own rules, regardless of what we want to ask it. I imagine my conversation with HAL/OPAC would go like this:

Anne the Librarian: "How many books about love do we have, oh library computer?"
OPAC: "I'm sorry, Anne, I can't do that."
Anne the Librarian: "OK, so how about just adult books about love?"
OPAC: "I'm sorry, Anne, I can't do that."
Anne: "OK, would you believe, just books with the Library of Congress Subject Heading 'Love'?"
OPAC: "I'm sorry, Anne, you sound like Maxwell Smart, that is the wrong video entertainment format. I can't understand you."
Anne: "I am going to power you down now, OPAC. Good bye!"
OPAC: "Nooooo...."
Anne: "Mwah ha ha."

Happy Valentine's Day! We've got lots of books about romance and love at BHPL, more than 250 I'm guessing. Just ask at the Reference Desk.

Florida Authors for a Cold Winter in the Northeast

New Jersey is experiencing another cold, snowy, icy, icky, or as the Scots would say, 'dreich,' winter season. Some of our snowbird patrons have escaped to Florida for the duration, but for those of us bundled up in our sweaters and boots and hats (and that's just indoors) -  who are toughing it out at home, some funny books from Florida authors may help warm you up, carry you off to warmer climes, or at least make you laugh and escape this northeast winter for a little while.

Dave Barry wrote a humor column for the 'Miami Herald' for years which was laugh-out-loud funny, especially if your sense of humor is an only slightly grown-up appreciation of the humorous potential of words like booger and laughing until milk comes out of your nose. Think third-grade lunch-room hijinks as related by a grown-up who never grew up. But don't take my word for it, read some of Dave's old columns on his website. Then for a novel-length dose of Dave Barry, read his latest book, Insane City.

Carl Hiaasen also writes for the 'Miami Herald', is also very funny, writes terrific books for adults and young adults and, if that isn't enough for one person, is friends with Dave Barry! In fact, Barry and Hiaasen played in 'The Rock Bottom Remainders,' a rock group made up of authors who write well but whose musical talent was more enthusiastic than skilled.

When I started thinking about Florida authors I enjoy reading, I discovered Tim Dorsey, who is now on my 'to read' list. Like Barry and Hiaasen, Tim Dorsey was also a journalist at a Florida newspaper and as I began to ponder what it is that causes Florida journalists to become humor writers, a quick Google search revealed a column by Janet Maslin of the New York Times comparing and contrasting these three authors. The three authors are considered to be what we in the library world call 'read-alikes.'  Read Ms. Maslin's review for more on these three authors. I love Dave Barry and Carl Hiaasen's writing so I'm off to the stacks to grab a Tim Dorsey novel starring 'Serge Storms' for the weekend.

Happy reading and stay warm!

Projected Shortage of 2015 Tax Forms at Libraries

2015 Tax Forms at the Berkeley Heights Public Library

The Berkeley Heights Public Library is always happy to receive free tax forms to hand out to our patrons yearly around this time through April 15. But this year, cutbacks to the IRS budget may result in a shortage of available tax forms for our patrons. We received an email from the IRS stating that because of budget cuts, the IRS Tax Forms Outlet Program has reduced the number of forms and publications they will provide to the Berkeley Heights Public Library and other U.S. public libraries this year. Only Forms 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ will be available in paper form for library patrons to
take home. They are projected to  be shipped at the end of January or early February.

As in past years, our reference librarians will help patrons find tax forms online and print them out. We charge ten cents per page for printouts.  Unfortunately, the instruction booklets which are so popular will not be sent by the IRS this year to libraries. We have printed a copy for patrons to use in the library and the instruction booklets can be viewed online and downloaded from the IRS website.

Copies of tax forms and instructions are available online for viewing and downloading at irs.gov/forms. For forms and instructions to be delivered by mail, the IRS suggests ordering online at
irs.gov/orderforms or by phone at 800-829-3676. If you are ordering by phone, expect long waits due to the IRS staff reductions.


As in previous years, New Jersey tax forms will not be mailed to the library, but can be printed from the New Jersey Department of Taxation website.


If you have questions or need help locating and printing tax forms, please
talk to our reference librarians
- in person at 290 Plainfield Avenue,
- by email: reference@bhplnj.org
- or by phone 908-464-9333

Library staff are putting together a binder of printed forms and instruction booklets for patrons to photocopy or use in the library. We can show patrons how to find forms or print them out for patrons, but we cannot give tax advice.

Related websites and articles

IRS Forms and Publications page

New Jersey Division of Taxation tax forms

AARP Tax Help locator

AP Article about IRS budget cuts

Federal Times report on IRS budget cuts

Movies Shown at the Library in 2014

Did you miss one of our Third Thursday Movie Nights? All of the movies shown in 2014 are part of the library’s circulating collection and can be checked out.

 

January                       Shun Li and the Poet (Italian, Mandarin)

February                     Austenland (English)

March                         Aliyah (French)

April                            Broken (English)

May                             Clandestine Childhood (Spanish)

June                            Watchtower (Turkish)

July                              Son of the Bride (Spanish)

July                              Philomena (English)

July                              Barbara (German)

July                              The Hunt (Danish)                

August                        Caesar Must Die (Italian)

August                        Wadjda (Arabic)        

September                  The Lunchbox (Hindi, English)

October                      Chef (English)

November                   Words and Pictures (English)

December                   The Hundred Foot Journey (English)