Tax Forms Available Now!

Tax forms are now available at RPL's main branch on the corner of 5th and Franklin. We have federal, state, and local forms. We have limited quantities of the forms in paper format. When these are gone, they will still be available to download and print out from our public Internet access terminals for the nominal cost of 10 cents a page.
The librarians have no professional training in tax preparation and cannot dispense tax advice.

Mozart hits the big 2 5 0!

Today is the 250th anniversary of the birth of one of civilization's greatest geniuses.

To learn more about the man, the music, and the times, investigate the following links:

Mozart 2006: Austria Celebrates the Genius!
The Mozart Project
Classical Musical Files - MP3s and MIDI files of Mozart's works
Google Search for websites on Mozart

We also have music CDs and biographical works available. Use this link, Catalog Search, to access records of materials found in the entire Berks County Public Library system.

The Mpemba Effect

Did you know that hot water freezes faster than cold water? Next time you fill up those ice cube trays, why not test it?
This is known as the Mpemba Effect, named after a Tanzanian high school student who introduced this phenomenon to the modern scientific community in 1969. Of course, it had been observed centuries before by the likes of Aristotle, Sir Francis Bacon, and Rene Descartes, among others.
For more information on this fascinating, counterintuitive, and possibly inflammatory theory, check out Monwhea Jeng's Physics FAQ site. For more on the controversy, take a look at the discussion in the Wikipedia article on the Mpemba Effect.

Unemployment Compensation

If you would like to print out a copy of your Unemployment Compensation Benefits UC-1099G form, click here for the link to the page on the PA Department of Labor and Industry website.

Tax Time

It's time to start thinking about income taxes again. The library won't have the tax forms and instructions until the beginning of February, but we can get a head start on the headache by visiting the various federal, state, and local sights to download copies.

Internal Revenue Service

Pennsylvania Department of Revenue

City of Reading Earned Income Tax Form (Loads a little more slowly - pdf files)

Berks County Earned Income Tax Forms (pdf files)

For assistance in filing out your federal income taxes, beginning January 20th, you may visit the Local Taxpayer Assistance Center at 201 Penn Street or contact the office at 610.320.5154. Appointments may not be available the same day, but will be within five days.

For more information on assistance with filling out your state income taxes, contact the Pennsylvania Taxpayer Assistance office on 625 Cherry Street at 610.378.4401. This service is free for the state forms only.

Book Discussion

Autumn has arrived, and the citizens of Pickax find themselves amid a clamor of activity. In addition to the opening of its latest theatrical production, the town is celebrating the dedication of a new bookstore and park built in memory of Pickax's beloved bookshop owner Edd Smith. Columnist Jim Qwilleran, while participating in the festivities, is also busy with his latest book project: an account of a uniquely historic guest residence, the Hibbard House. The merry atmosphere, however, is dampened by the suspicious death of an out-of-town actor and the mysterious theft of a rare book. Qwill's research into the Hibbard House provides unexpected insight into these strange proceedings. Qwill must also rely on his perceptive Siamese Koko, who has been acting particularly odd in regard to the newest resident of the Hibbard House. Has Koko gone bananas, or will his unusual behavior help Qwill unravel this mystery?

Presented by the
Reading Public Library
March 30, 2006
7-8 PM
City Espresso
124 S. 5th St.
Reading, PA

“The Cat Who Went Bananas”
Lilian Jackson Braun

Pre-registration is required.

Please stop by the reference desk of the Main Library at 100 South 5th St. or call 610.655.6355.

The water's not as cold once you jump in.

Testing, testing!

Welcome to the RPL's new blog. This is a completely new technology for me and for eveyone else here, but we are very excited about it and can't wait to jump in and start bloggin'!