Spring Adult Programs

It may feel like winter still has a long way to go, but we are already thinking spring! Today you can go to Adult Programs on our website and start to plan the library events you won't want to miss during March, April and May.

At Aspen we've got you covered whether you are a Trekkie, a gardener, or someone who wants to learn the art of zentangle. At Cook Park, aromatherapy, beer school and Lincoln's assassination are among the topics on the agenda. We will once again partner with the GLMV Chamber to bring lunch hour programs for our business patrons.

Our Authors Outloud series already has eight entertaining authors lined up, starting with fiction superstar Jodi Picoult and the hilarious Jen Lancaster.  And, of course, we will feature photo displays, "how to" ebook sessions, computer and job hunting classes and lots more besides. Take a look!

And, of course, we will feature photo displays, "how to" ebook sessions, computer and job hunting classes and lots more besides. Take a look!

Attention Genealogy Enthusiasts

Cook Memorial Public Library District is proud to announce that we have been selected as a Library Affiliate of the Family History Library in Salt Lake City. This means that you can order genealogy microfilm (birth, marriage, death, probate, land, military records and more) from the Family Search website for $7.50 per reel, and it will be delivered to the Cook Park Library in Libertyville. We will house the microfilm for you, and you can come in and view it any time the library is open. The microfilm is loaned for 90 days, and can be renewed for 60 days. You can also request that the microfilm be kept on indefinite loan, for additional cost.

Order microfilm from the Family Search Catalog after setting up a free account. You will be notified by email when the microfilm has been received. Need some help getting started finding and ordering microfilm? Attend our Genealogy Networking Group meeting at the Cook Park Library at 7 pm on March 7 to learn how to do it, or call the Reference Desk and ask for Thomas, Sonia or Jenny B.

Tax Form Update

Federal:

• The library has now received the Federal 1040 and 1040A forms from the IRS. We hope to receive the instructions for those forms within about two weeks, but the IRS has not provided a date by which we should expect them. In the meantime, you can access IRS forms and instructions online. Some can be filled in online and then printed, while others can just be viewed and printed.
• The IRS will not send us any 1099 forms this year. They are not available online. You can call 1-800-829-3676 to order 1099s.

Illinois:

• The Illinois Department of Revenue has sent us their 1040 forms and just a few state 1040 instructions. They are printing only a small number of the instructions this year, as they hope most people will access them online instead. Here is a link to the state 1040 instructions.
• As of July 1, 2012, Illinois Cares Rx was terminated and the Circuit Breaker Property Tax Relief Grant was eliminated due to lack of funding.  This means there will be no Circuit Breaker – IL Form 1363.   For more information, go to the Illinois Department of Aging website at www.state.il.us/aging/.

Blind Date with a Great Book

Are you feeling a bit adventurous this winter? Are you ready to possibly broaden your reading horizons by taking a chance on a book? Our Readers’ Advisory staff at Cook Park has come up with a fun idea for February, in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Visit the Fiction Room to choose from an assortment of beribboned pink boxes, each one containing a staff-recommended novel. You won’t know what it is until you open the box. Here’s the scoop:

* You can check out these books without unwrapping them.  Their ID tags will scan through cardboard boxes or wrapping paper. 

* If you want to unwrap the book before leaving the library, please return the box to the Adult Reference Desk.

* Books do not have to be re-wrapped upon return.  Just return them as you would any other library book.

Enjoy your surprise!