Comments on: Reference Question of the Week – 1/29/11 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/ or, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to Fear and Loathing at a Public Library Reference Desk Mon, 20 May 2013 23:17:40 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Brian Herzog http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/#comment-2093 Brian Herzog Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:46:31 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=1272#comment-2093 @Elizabeth: our 1040 instructions just arrived today too. And I agree that we should play up to these patrons the reasons for coming to the library during the rest of the year – perhaps the government is doing us a favor by forcing people to come to the library.

]]> By: Elizabeth http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/#comment-2092 Elizabeth Tue, 08 Feb 2011 17:29:36 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=1272#comment-2092 My library JUST received the 1040 booklets (phew). Something that makes me kind of melancholy is all these people that never set foot in the library all year long except to get tax forms. You’d think they’d see something here that they like and would get them to come back?

]]> By: Denise http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/#comment-2091 Denise Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:53:20 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=1272#comment-2091 I’ve been blaming the delay on the snow and bad weather too. We haven’t had consistent deliveries because of it, so that helps allay some patron complaints.

And I agree too about the conspiracy theory, but I think it is the software lobbyists that are in on it deep. Every year you have to buy a new version – no upgrade, the whole thing! There is much money to be made in taxes, but not for the IRS.

]]> By: Marleah http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/#comment-2090 Marleah Mon, 07 Feb 2011 15:32:49 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=1272#comment-2090 Hallelujah! We also have not received instructions for the 1040 but have for everything else. And yes, we do repeat this conversation about a thousand times every week.

]]> By: Brian Herzog http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/#comment-2089 Brian Herzog Sun, 06 Feb 2011 23:54:36 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=1272#comment-2089 @Andromeda: I still always do mine on paper too (which is part of the reason I think there are nefarious groups plotting against people like me). As for printing, the instructions are online [pdf], but 179 pages at $0.15 = $26.85, which people just don’t want to pay. People could of course just print out the pages they need, but they don’t know what they need until they start doing their taxes, and they haven’t gotten that far when they’re just coming in to pick up their forms.

@Anne: I like the idea of a dedicated workstation. Our policy is that we’ll print one copy of a form we don’t have for free, but anything beyond that (and any instructions) is the regular $0.15/page.

@Carol: I know, right? They’re everywhere. Tax forms are going to go the way of payphones, just like when early auto companies paid cities to rip out their streetcar tracks, to force people to buy cars. All of my life’s problems can be blamed on corporate sneakiness.

]]> By: Carol http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/#comment-2088 Carol Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:46:42 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=1272#comment-2088 Hmmmm….Your conspiracy theory makes sense. Curse those sneaky government lobbyists!!

]]> By: Anne http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/#comment-2087 Anne Sun, 06 Feb 2011 02:34:53 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=1272#comment-2087 and it’s only the beginning of February…

Our library system’s solution for the bigger branches is to set up a dedicated computer and printer that can ONLY access irs.gov for printing needed forms. We’ve had several people already print out all 179 pages of the 1040 instructions (double sided, of course). I’ve helped a couple of people just print the bits and pieces of the instructions that they need, as well.

It’s a big SNAFU, that’s for sure!!! But most everyone has been very understanding and nice about it.

]]> By: Andromeda http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/2011/02/05/reference-question-of-the-week-12911/#comment-2086 Andromeda Sat, 05 Feb 2011 17:47:21 +0000 http://www.swissarmylibrarian.net/?p=1272#comment-2086 I would totally believe that there is such a conspiracy theory. There’s a part of my taxes that explicitly says you’re required to use tax preparation software or a tax preparer. (And then it has this fine print about how if you don’t employ a preparer or own software you can, um, fine, OK, just do it on paper. So I don’t really know what they mean by “required”, there. But I trust I am one of, like, five remaining people who does her own taxes on paper.)

With the people asking for instructions, is there some reason you cannot help them to print them out from the web site? Are this year’s not even up online yet (I haven’t looked since I still don’t have all the forms I need to start, grumble, grumble), or would it just send your printing budget through the roof, or what?

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