In celebration of reopening, Carnegie Public Library recently held a Family Fun Scavenger Hunt in downtown Washington Court House.
Oversized library cards were placed at various downtown businesses. Those who took part in the hunt had to pick up a form, then visit at least five of the participating businesses to get the “Carnegie Clue” that was on the back of the cards. Completed forms then had to be turned back in at the library.
Participating businesses included Court House Fitness (215 E Court St.), Boutique on Main (145 N. Main St.), Harry & Annie’s (212 E. Court St.), Game On Arcade (202 E. Court St.), Platform Coffee House (138 S. Fayette St.), Three Birds Boutique (250 E. Court St.), Back-En-Thyme (101 E. Court St.), The Noble Pig (131 E. Court St.), Sweetwater Bay Boutique (131 E. Court St.), and 4 T’s Boutique (231 E. Court St.).
Dozens of participants had fun visiting businesses to find the oversized library card with a “Carnegie Clue” on the back.
The drawing was held for Saint Patrick’s Day on Wednesday, March 17. The two winners drawn from a leprechaun’s hat were the Baughn family and the Cox family. The prize for both was a family fun prize package.
In other news from the library, library staff and patrons are delighted that the building is now open to the public once again! Patrons may browse, use public computers, genealogy resources, and utilize our office services for faxing, scanning, printing, and copying.
A limited building capacity will be observed, and masks are required to enter. Hours are 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., Monday – Friday, and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. Curbside pick-up for library materials will be available for those who require the service.
It is tax time! State and federal tax forms will soon be available, in limited quantity, at the library. For many years, the library has participated in Tax Form Distribution Programs.
In the past, the library received many copies of tax forms, schedules, and instructions. In recent years, the federal and state governments, in an effort to reduce waste and encourage electronic filing, have reduced the amount of tax products mailed to individuals and tax form outlets such as the library.
Both federal and state governments report that more than 90% of tax returns are now filed online. We still receive forms, just not as many as we once did. Once they have arrived, library patrons and community members can stop by to pick up forms.
Once the library building is open on March 1, community members are invited to use the library’s public computers to file their federal and state taxes, or library office services to print copies of forms, W-2s, and more.
Both the IRS and the Ohio Department of Taxation have information-rich, up-to-date websites for consumer questions related to filing, forms, deadlines, and identity theft. Visit www.irs.gov or tax.ohio.gov for forms, instructions, and more.
New to library office services? Public use computers, laptops and scanners are available for use at no cost. Printing and faxing services are available for use at minimal cost. Users can also access the web to register for COVID-19 vaccinations, apply for jobs and benefits, or file federal or state income tax. Users may also create documents and access email or ecommerce sites.
Home printer down? Need to print important documents? Use “Print from Home” services! Simply email your documents as attachments to [email protected]. Be sure to include the first and last name of the person picking up the print job, and the number of copies requested. We will email you when your print job is ready for pickup.
Lacking in trained volunteers, the AARP Tax Aide program is unable to provide free tax preparation services in Fayette County this year. Community members are encouraged to use other local and area services: Second Chance Center of Hope: 740-620-4133; AARP at Sabina Library 937-584-2319; AARP at Jamestown Library 937-352-4005.
Carnegie Public Library is working on creating new partnerships to fulfill this need in our Fayette County community and will update as information becomes available.
Families: “Hello Friends!” is live on Facebook. Children and their families can tune in at 10:30 a.m. as Aaron and Noel read, sing, and engage with our storytime families online! For children 5 and younger, “Bonnie’s Books” feature stories, rhymes, crafts, games, and other fun. Check them out online!
Three cheers for spring! The library is planning April storytimes in the library garden. Weather permitting, families and children will gather outside once again for stories, songs, crafts and more.
Our online resources are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Information about all of our resources can be found on the Library’s website, www.cplwcho.org, or by calling the Washington Court House Library at 740-335-2540. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @cplwcho.
