Filing Taxes

Q: I need to file taxes this week; where can I find State and Federal tax forms on the Internet?

A: For Federal forms, visit the tax forms page on the Internal Revenue Service’s website, which can be found at http://www.irs.gov/formspubs/index.html.

If you need information on filing from out of state, visit the Federation of Tax Administrators’ website at http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/link/forms.html.

If you are looking for state tax forms, visit the Rhode Island Tax Division website at http://www.tax.ri.gov/taxforms.

Origin of the 21-gun salute

Q: What is the origin of the 21-gun salute?
A: The use of gun salutes for military occasions is traced to early warriors who demonstrated their peaceful intentions by placing their weapons in a position that rendered them ineffective. In 1842, the Presidential salute was formally established at 21 guns. In 1890, regulations designated the "national salute" as 21 guns and re-designated the traditional Independence Day salute, the "Salute to the Union," equal to the number of states(50).

Information gathered from Army: the U.S. Army from 1775 to the 21st century by Chester G. Hearn.

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

For more relevant information, check out the U.S. Army Center of Military History's website.
http://www.history.army.mil

Setting up a Twitter Account

Q: I’m new to social networking; how did I set up a Twitter account?

A: Twitter is a useful tool and easy to learn. First, open your internet browser and go to http://twitter.com. Then, click on “sign up now” and follow the instructions to set up your account. From your homepage, you can search for people, companies, and businesses and follow them by clicking on the “follow” icon on the left hand side of their profile.

For great Twitter tutorials, click on and go to:

WebDesignerDepot

SlideShare.net

Mashable.com

Squidoo.com

Twitteroid Blog

Once you start to enjoy using Twitter, check out these neat websites:

Bit-Ly : A handy URL shortener

TweetDeck : A personal browser for Twitter with an improved userface for better tweeting

Twitpic : Use this to easily share your photos on Twitter

Twitscoop: A trendy platform to substitute for the basic Twitter page

Tweetup: Create your event on Tweetup and publicize it online

Twopopular: Popular twitter trends

Twitter Directory: Popular Twitter users to follow

Ethiopia

Q: What interesting and informative book do you recommend for someone who wants to learn about Ethiopian traditions and culture?

A: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese is a great fiction read that gives readers a full picture of Ethiopian life today and also the non-fiction title, The History of Ethiopia by Saheed A. Adejumobi, is a very informative book as well.

Click here to request Cutting for Stone through the library catalog.


Click here to request The History of Ethiopia through the library catalog.


Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

The Lost City of Z

Q: Who was Percy Harrison Fawcett and is the legend about the “Lost City of El Dorado” true?

A: Percy Harrison Fawcett was one of the great explorers of our time that embarked on an adventure to find the “Lost City of El Dorado”, also known as the “Lost City of Z”. In 1925, he embarked on a much publicized search to find the “Lost City of Z”, the site of an ancient Amazonian civilization that may or may not have existed. He never returned and was never found alive or dead.

Information gathered from The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann.

Click here to request this book using our library catalog.

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

Fisher Cats

Q: What are Fisher cats and do they pose a threat to domestic cats?

A: According to the University of Michigan, Fisher cats are native to North America and generally live in coniferous and deciduous forests. Despite their name, they are not cats, but come from the Mustelid family, which includes weasels, otters and wolverines. They prey on small to medium-size animals and have been known to kill cats, chickens, and dogs.

Information gathered from the University of Michigan’s Museum of Zoology “Animal Diversity” website.


Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

Abuse and Neglect

Q: What is the difference between emotional abuse and emotional neglect?

A: In the book, Wednesday’s Children, Dr. Robert J. Ackerman divides emotional abuse into two categories: “verbal belligerence” and outright neglect. He explains that emotional abuse can exist in the shape of verbal criticism (emotional abuse) and complete disregard for a person’s most basic needs (emotional neglect). Inattentiveness, stemming from emotional neglect, may lead to abandonment.

Information gathered from Wednesday’s Children by Suzanne Somers.

Click here to request it from our library catalog.

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

"To Kill a Mockingbird"

Q: Why has the book, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, sparked controversy recently?

A: The novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird”, has frequently been challenged as an inappropriate book for young adult readers. It has been a source of significant controversy since its being the subject of classroom study as early as 1963 and the controversy continues to this day. Criticisms of the novel are not limited to upsetting, racial insults, profanity, and the topic of rape in the novel.

Information gathered from the American Library Association website.

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

October 21, 2009

The U.S. Open

Q: Where is the U.S. Open held and who is the current top seeded player in the Men’s Singles draw at the U.S. Open this year?

A: The U.S. Open is held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York and Roger Federer is the top seeded player in the Open this year, followed by Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal.

Information gathered from the official U.S. Open website: http://www.usopen.org

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

September 9, 2009

The Maneless Lions of Tsavo

Q: Which maneless lions attacked and killed an estimated 135 railroad workers in Tsavo, Kenya between March and December of 1888?

A: The Tsavo lions are well-known for their unexpected and gruesome attacks on humans during the building of the Kenya-Uganda Railway in 1888. After repeated attempts to trap and injure the lions, the railroad manager, Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, finally killed the lions after shooting each of them five times.

Information gathered from the Ghosts of Tsavo: Stalking the Mystery Lions of East Africa by Philip Caputo.

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

September 23, 2009

The Maneless Lions of Tsavo

Q: Which maneless lions attacked and killed an estimated 135 railroad workers in Tsavo, Kenya between March and December of 1988?

A: The Tsavo lions are well-known for their unexpected and gruesome attacks on humans during the building of the Kenya-Uganda Railway in 1988. After repeated attempts to trap and injure the lions, the railroad manager, Lt. Col. John Henry Patterson, finally killed the lions after shooting each of them five times.

Information gathered from the Ghosts of Tsavo: Stalking the Mystery Lions of East Africa by Philip Caputo.

Click here to request this book from our library catalog.

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

September 23, 2009

The Legend of Mercy Brown

Q: Who was Mercy Brown and where is she buried?

A: Mercy Brown was a young girl when she died of tuberculosis in January, 1892. Her body was exhumed a few months later from its burial site in the Chestnut Hill Cemetery in Exeter, RI. Dr. Michael Bell from the Rhode Island Folklife Society writes, “they examined her organs. The newspaper said her heart and liver had blood in it. It was liquid blood, which they interpreted as fresh blood”. The evidence of liquid blood and the fact that Mercy’s body was so well-preserved after being buried for three months led to the theory that Mercy was a vampire.

Information gathered from Food for the Dead: on the Trail of New England's Vampires by Dr. Michael Bell.

Click here to request this book from our library catalog.

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

October 7, 2009

President Truman and Hiroshima

Q: Which President disagreed with President Truman’s decision to bomb Hiroshima before and after serving in the White House?

A: In addition to publicly disputing the bombing of Hiroshima, President Eisenhower criticized Truman’s actions in his 1948 memoir, Crusade in Europe.

Source: Hiroshima in America: Fifty Years of Denial by Robert Jay Lifton and Greg Mitchell

Click here to request this book from our library catalog.

Submitted by Kasia Piasecka, Reference Assistant

August 26, 2009

First Capital of the U.S.

Q. I just visited York, Pennsylvania. The town claims to be the first capital of the US. Is this correct?

A. It is true, but seldom mentioned in most history books. The Revolutionary War was still raging and the government was in the process of being created by the founding fathers, so the argument might be made that as of yet there was no United States of America.

In 1777 The Continental Congress fled Philadelphia to York as the British Army approached. They made York the national capital (September 30, 1777 - June 27, 1778). While there the Congress passed the Articles of Confederation.

Source: The NewEncyclopedia Britannica Volume 12, 1997

Submitted by Kate Carroll, Reference Assistant

Monkeytown, Rhode Island

Q: I heard that Knightsville, a village in Cranston, was once called Monkeytown. What was the reason for it being called Monkeytown?

A: Most sources that we checked say that the reason for the name is not known. We did find one source that said, “One legend has it that a local lad joined a seafaring voyage, and when he returned he brought back a most unusual creature with him – a monkey in a cage. People traveled from all over to see the animal.”

Source: Cranston by Lydia L. Rapoza and Bette Miller

Click here to request this book from our library catalog.

Submitted by Kate Carroll, Reference Assistant

Q: How many states in the United States are commonwealths?

A: There are four states that are designated as commonwealths: Massachusetts, Virginia, Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Puerto Rico and the Mariana Islands are U.S. territories that are also considered to be commonwealths.

Source: World Book Encyclopedia 2006

Submitted by Maureen Delovio, Ref. Librarian

Ocean State Libraries

Q. I noticed that CLAN libraries are now called OCEAN STATE LIBRARIES connecting Rhode Island. Do I need to get a new Library Card?

A. You can still use your present library card. The new cards will be issued to new library patrons and as replacement cards to current card holders. OSL includes 70 public libraries and offers numerous services. Click here to visit the OSL website.

Submitted by Reference Librarian.

Hollywood bed

Q. I saw an excellent local production of Chorus Line by the Academy Players in Rhode Island this past weekend. (By the way, the costumes were fabulous!) One of the characters mentioned that she "was born on a Hollywood bed." I was wondering what exactly is a Hollywood bed?

A. A Hollywood bed is "a bed consisting of a metal frame, box spring, mattress, and headboard, but lacking a footboard" according to the Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. The American Heritage Dictionary defines it a little differently, "A mattress on a box spring supported by a metal frame or attached low legs, often with an upholstered headboard."

Source: Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary and The American Heritage Dictionary

Medical conditions

Q. As a reference librarian, what is your best, most current resource on medical conditions?

A. Two concise books on a wide range of medical issues are the Complete Guide to Symptoms, Illness & Surgery by H. Winter Griffith and Professional Guide to Diseases. These are user friendly, straight forward guides for the health care provider and consumer. The library does have more in-depth medical encyclopedias such as The Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine and Human Diseases and Conditions.

Also readily available are a number of health databases which can be accessed through our website, wwlibrary.org, with a library card number: Alt Health Watch focuses on the holistic and complementary approaches to health care; Health Source covers topics from general health, to nutrition, child care and sports medicine; Clinical Pharmacology deals with U.S. prescription drugs, herbal medication and nutritional supplements. These are just some of many good health resources in the West Warwick Public Library.

Forever Stamp

Q. What is the Forever Stamp?

A. The USPS announced in a news release on March 26, 2007 that "The FOREVER stamp is a consumer innovation guaranteed to deliver unprecedented convenience and value to our customers. It's good forever."

The cost of first class stamps will rise to $.41 on May 14th. To ease the transition, the new FOREVER stamp will eliminate the need to purchase 2 cent stamps. The new stamp has an image of the Liberty Bell and the word 'forever'. They will be available to purchase in booklets of 20 beginning April 14th.

Sources: Click here to go to the United States Postal Service website.