Tax Forms 2016

February 17, 2016February 12, 2016 - Bill Leave a comment

As February 10th 2016, all Davenport Libraries have your FEDERAL 1040 tax forms AND instructions.

The IRS did not furnish libraries with instruction booklets in recent years due to Congressional budget cuts.

Quantities are limited, so please visit soon!

The IRS has suggested the following alternate methods

• IRS.gov/Forms – to view and download
• IRS.gov/orderforms – to order tax products to be delivered by mail
• 1-800-829-3676 – to order tax products to be delivered by mail

The State of Iowa has eliminated the short form and stopped providing paper forms to libraries some years ago.

Happy filing!

Mr. Thanksgiving

November 25, 2015November 17, 2015 - Stephanie Leave a comment

Growing up in the Quad Cities, I remember watching Bob Vogelbaugh, aka Mr. Thanksgiving, announce his annual Thanksgiving dinner on the news or the radio every year and wondering how he managed to cook up all that food by himself to feed more than 2,000 people. Now that I’m older I realize just how much he relies on donations and volunteers to make this event happen.

Vogelbaugh is a former Moline grocery store owner who began this tradition in his small grocery store more than forty years ago. His Thanksgiving feast was held at his store for seven more years until it grew so large that he had to move it to the second floor of the YWCA, where volunteers had to carry people in wheelchairs up the stairs because there was not an elevator! Now the event takes place at Southpark Mall where Vogelbaugh says volunteers are the backbone of the event. Volunteers don’t need to sign up, they can instead just show up ready to work. They also accept donations of pies at the mall office on Wednesday, November 25, or near the children’s play area at the former Deb space on Thursday, November 26.

This year is a special occasion. It is the 45th year of the Annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner. As of November 12th though, the dinner was in slight jeopardy. Vogelbaugh, in an interview with KWQC, announced that to put on this dinner, he relies on donations of around $16,000 from the community and that he was only at $4,000. Check out his interview, the QC Online website, and the Southpark Mall event calendar for more information about where you can send monetary donations and how else you can help.

If you’re interested in attending the dinner, it will be served on Thursday, November 26th, from 4 to 6pm at Southpark Mall! Need a tide? Contact Metrolink at 309-788-3360.

National Novel Writing Month

November 3, 2015October 30, 2015 - Rachel Leave a comment

Are you trying to write the next great American novel? Do you find yourself needing motivation to write?

If so then you will be happy to learn that November is National Novel Writing Month. Authors from all around the world are members of the National Novel Writing Month website. On this website, you can track your writing progress, get pep talks, talk to fellow authors on the forums, and meet other authors in your area. According to the website,

“National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to creative writing.

On November 1, participants begin working towards the goal of writing a 50,000-word novel by 11:59 PM on November 30.

Valuing enthusiasm, determination, and a deadline, NaNoWriMo is for anyone who has ever thought about writing a novel.”

If you want to challenge yourself to write 50,000 words during the month of November, then check out the National Novel Writing Month website:

http://nanowrimo.org/

Happy Writing!

March 20th is National Proposal Day!

March 20, 2015March 14, 2015 - Stephanie Leave a comment

Did you know that March 20th is National Proposal Day? The date, March 20th, was chosen as it was said to signify the beginning of spring(it is the first day of spring!) and is also the vernal/spring equinox. If you missed the March 20th proposal day, don’t worry! There is another “National Proposal Day” on September 23rd, the autumnal equinox or the first day of fall. Both the vernal equinox and the autumnal equinox were chosen as National Proposal Days as the length of both night and day are equal, so proposing on this day is seen to put both people on a balanced scale and to symbolize their equality as they enter into marriage (I personally love the idea of linking it to the first day of a season!).

Once the proposal is over though, the fun part begins. The couple chooses venues, finds dresses and tuxes, picks flowers, and decides just who is going to be in their wedding party. If you’re lucky enough to be closely related to the engaged couple or even in the wedding party, you may find yourself on the receiving end of having to give a speech at the reception. I don’t know about you, but I simultaneously DREAD and LOVE the speech portion of wedding receptions! I can usually tell within the first couple of sentences whether that speech is going to make me laugh or cringe.

irish toasts

In order to help prepare said speech-giving people, I have found some toast-giving books to make designing your speech a little easier. First up let’s try something humorous like the book Irish Toasts, illustrated by Karen Bailey. *DISCLAIMER – Please make sure you know the couple REALLY WELL before decided to go a little crazy in your toast. If they’re okay with it, YOU. ARE. GOLDEN!* While some of these may be uniquely set to Ireland, note that they can also be changed to fit your specific circumstances. These are meant to give you ideas. Read these classic and witty Irish toasts and find the one that will fit your toast.

Perhaps the couple is more along the traditional sense and you are as well. Maybe you’re looking for the right quotes and toasts about love to add to your speech or need some inspiration. If so, check out Wedding Toasts & Speeches: Finding the Perfect Words by Jo Packham. In this book, Packham has compiled a wide variety of quotes that can easily be slipped into any wedding toast. Whether you’re looking for something long/short, funny/romantic, or well-known/by a nobody, this book has gathered something for you. It even offers you advice on how to be a good speaker in front of a crowd. Extra Bonus.

If you’re still looking for inspiration to create that perfect wedding toast, head to the library and we can help you find something that will help you wish that lucky couple the very best in their new life!

National Read Across America Day!

March 1, 2015February 28, 2015 - Stephanie Leave a comment

Happy National Read Across America Day! Read Across America is a program put together by the National Education Association that encourages children and teens to read by partnering with various community organizations, doing events across the country, and by providing reading resources. One of their more publicized events throughout the year is National Read Across America Day, which is March 2nd AND is also Dr. Seuss’ birthday. As a tribute to Dr. Seuss this year, the National Education Association has chosen Oh, The Places You’ll Go as the book to be read across the country.

If you’re looking for ways to set up your own Read Across America event, the NEA has you covered! Check out their Plan a Reading Event page to find materials, certificates, banners, and more! Still need more event ideas or are you curious if there are already any Read Across America Day events planned in your local community? Visit their events page to check out the events happening across the country(and the world!) and also take the Read Across America pledge.

Come to the library and check out what other wonderful Dr. Seuss materials are available! If Dr. Seuss isn’t your cup of tea, don’t worry! Our librarians can help you find other materials to help you enjoy Read Across America Day!

DPL’s 2015 Zinio Magazine Titles

February 27, 2015February 26, 2015 - Valerie Leave a comment

Two dozen new titles have been added to our Zinio magazine offerings. That brings this year’s total to over 90 great periodicals that you can download with your Davenport Public Library account.

Unfamiliar with Zinio? Now is a great time to take a look at downloading full issues of great titles. Interested? Then be certain to create a new account and check out a magazine during your visit.

Heads up, even after creating an account, during your first checkout you’ll be asked to create an account for your downloads. Tip: Use the same username and passwords for both logins.

These issues are always available; no need for reserves. Once checked out, they stay on your account indefinitely, meaning you can go on a wild checkout spree, then read them at your convenience. Once finished, simply remove the issues from your account.

You’ll find both current and past issues are available. That is, back issue availability is based upon when our subscription began. You’ll even find older issues for magazines to which we no longer subscribe still available to you.

Current titles:

100 Ideas Real Rooms, Allrecipes, American Cowboy, American PHOTO, AppleMagazine, Autoweek, Backpacker, Backyard & Garden Design Ideas, Better Homes and Gardens, Bicycling, BirdWatching, Bloomberg Businessweek, Bon Appetit, Car and Driver, Chicago Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Cottage Life, Country Gardens, Country Living, Discover, Do It Yourself, Dogs Life, Dwell – Best Homes in America, EatingWell, Elle, ESPN The Magazine, Esquire, Every Day with Rachael Ray, Family Circle, Family Handyman, FamilyFun, Food Network Magazine, Forbes, Good Housekeeping , Harper’s Bazaar, HGTV Magazine, House Beautiful, Interweave Knits, iPad & iPhone User, iPhone Life, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Knit Wear, Macworld, Marie Claire, Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, Maxim, Men’s Fitness, Men’s Health, mental_floss, Midwest Living, MOTHER EARTH NEWS, Motor Trend, National Geographic Interactive, National Geographic Traveler Interactive, Newsweek, O, The Oprah Magazine, OK! Magazine, Organic Gardening, OUT, PC Magazine, PCWorld, Popular Mechanics, Popular Science, Prevention, Reader’s Digest, Redbook, Rolling Stone, Runner’s World, Running Times, Shape, Smithsonian Magazine, Soap Opera Digest, Spirituality & Health Magazine, Star Magazine, Storage, Taste of Home, The Atlantic, The Economist, The Writer, Town & Country, Traditional Home, True West, TV Guide Magazine, Us Weekly, Weight Watchers, Woman’s Day, Women’s Health, WOOD Magazine, Woodcraft Magazine, Yoga Journal

Where are all the tax forms?

January 13, 2015January 12, 2015 - Bill Leave a comment

Friends:

The IRS informed us on January 9th, 2015:

“As you may be aware, IRS appropriations were significantly cut in the 2015 Omnibus Appropriations bill recently passed by Congress. Unfortunately this puts us in a position where we have very few options. We want to honor our commitment to you by providing some key products, but we cannot deliver nearly what we have in the past.”

The only forms we will receive will be the 1040, 1040A, and 1040EZ. We will NOT receive instruction booklets.

The IRS has suggested the following alternate methods

• IRS.gov/Forms – to view and download
• IRS.gov/orderforms – to order tax products to be delivered by mail
• 1-800-829-3676 – to order tax products to be delivered by mail

Library Reads!

October 23, 2013October 16, 2013 - Ann Leave a comment

This probably won’t surprise you, but most librarians are voracious readers. We read books in the areas that we select, we read books that we think our patrons might be interested in, we read about books and publishing trends and we even read books for our own pleasure (if only we were allowed to read books at work…..!) Because we’re so immersed in books, we can often be a great resource for finding your next great read. But when your favorite librarian isn’t available, LibraryReads, a monthly list of librarian recommendations is the next best thing.

With contributions from librarians across the country, LibraryReads presents a curated list of ten about-to-be-published books that are worth reading. They cover all genres and various interests including literary fiction, romance, non-fiction, young adult, and mysteries and authors famous and unknown. This list bypasses the publisher hype and finds real gems, read and enjoyed by readers just like you – people who love to read. Be sure to check it out each month for more great titles!

I Read Banned Books.

September 23, 2013September 20, 2013 - Ann Leave a comment

Here at the Davenport Public Library, we are celebrating our freedom to read during Banned Books Week by reading frequently challenged and banned books. From September 22nd until the 28th, we encourage you to stop by one of the DPL locations and pick up one of the books that have been banned or challenged at libraries across the country. We will have many of the books on display, and as always, stop by the reference desk and we’ll help you find the book you need. You might be surprised to find one of your favorites on the list.

The 10 most frequently challenged books of 2012:

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Captain Underpants series by Dav Pilkey, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian by Sherman Alexie, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher, Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James, And Tango Makes Three by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, Looking for Alaska by John Green, Scary Stories Series by Alvin Schwartz, The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls, Beloved by Toni Morrison

Travel Photography

September 3, 2013August 30, 2013 - Ann Leave a comment

Did you travel somewhere exciting this summer? Did you take photographs that you want to share, but your family has watched your slideshow enough? Then maybe you should submit your photos to the German American Heritage Center’s Travel Photography Contest! You have until September 22nd to submit your potentially winning photograph, and selected photographs will be on exhibit from October 6th until January 5th.

In the meantime, you should check out some of the library’s photography resources for inspiration or instruction.

70yearslife digitalthroughyear night&lowlight