10 Online Tips on Privacy provoke more thought to becoming savvy and attentive to online security.  There is a lot to be learned about protecting ourselves and our data online.

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ALA Midwinter Tech Wrap-up
Friday, February 8th
1:00 PM, NCKL Offices, Presented on the Big Screen.

A look back at the 2013 ALA Midwinter meeting from a library technology perspective. Our panel of experts will analyze and discuss what they learned and what trends stood out at the conference. Whether or not you were at Midwinter, join us for this webinar that will offer an excellent summary and enlightening discussion of the featured technology and trends.

Don’t miss this free 60-minute event with:

• Jason Griffey, Head of Library Information Technology, University of Tennessee, Chattanooga, and blogger for ALA TechSource.
• Marshall Breeding, Library Automation Consultant, Writer and Expert.
• Sue Polanka, Head of Reference and Instruction at the Wright State University Libraries in Dayton, Ohio, Vice President/President Elect of the Academic Library Association of Ohio and author/moderator of No Shelf Required

Q&A after the panelists’ presentations.

If you would like to hear the previously recorded webinar Funding Assistance For Replacing Kan-Ed, click the link:
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 Following the January tax law changes made by Congress under the American Taxpayer Relief Act (ATRA), the Internal Revenue Service announced today it plans to open the 2013 filing season and begin processing individual income tax returns on Jan. 30.

The IRS will begin accepting tax returns on that date after updating forms and completing programming and testing of its processing systems. This will reflect the bulk of the late tax law changes enacted Jan. 2. The announcement means that the vast majority of tax filers — more than 120 million households — should be able to start filing tax returns starting Jan 30.

The IRS estimates that remaining households will be able to start filing in late February or into March because of the need for more extensive form and processing systems changes. This group includes people claiming residential energy credits, depreciation of property or general business credits. Most of those in this group file more complex tax returns and typically file closer to the April 15 deadline or obtain an extension.

“We have worked hard to open tax season as soon as possible,” IRS Acting Commissioner Steven T. Miller said. “This date ensures we have the time we need to update and test our processing systems.”

The IRS will not process paper tax returns before the anticipated Jan. 30 opening date. There is no advantage to filing on paper before the opening date, and taxpayers will receive their tax refunds much faster by using e-file with direct deposit.

“The best option for taxpayers is to file electronically,” Miller said.

The opening of the filing season follows passage by Congress of an extensive set of tax changes in ATRA on Jan. 1, 2013, with many affecting tax returns for 2012. While the IRS worked to anticipate the late tax law changes as much as possible, the final law required that the IRS update forms and instructions as well as make critical processing system adjustments before it can begin accepting tax returns.

The IRS originally planned to open electronic filing this year on Jan. 22; more than 80 percent of taxpayers filed electronically last year.

Who Can File Starting Jan. 30?

The IRS anticipates that the vast majority of all taxpayers can file starting Jan. 30, regardless of whether they file electronically or on paper. The IRS will be able to accept tax returns affected by the late Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) patch as well as the three major “extender” provisions for people claiming the state and local sales tax deduction, higher education tuition and fees deduction and educator expenses deduction.

Who Can’t File Until Later?

There are several forms affected by the late legislation that require more extensive programming and testing of IRS systems. The IRS hopes to begin accepting tax returns including these tax forms between late February and into March; a specific date will be announced in the near future.

The key forms that require more extensive programming changes include Form 5695 (Residential Energy Credits), Form 4562 (Depreciation and Amortization) and Form 3800 (General Business Credit). A full listing of the forms that won’t be accepted until later is available on IRS.gov.

As part of this effort, the IRS will be working closely with the tax software industry and tax professional community to minimize delays and ensure as smooth a tax season as possible under the circumstances.

Updated information will be posted on IRS.gov.

Several new story time kits were recently added to our collection.  We now have a total of 8 kits circulating.  They go out for 1 month at a time and can be sent to you via the van or courier service.

If you’d like more detailed information, I just created a story time kits webpage with a rundown on the contents of each kit.  Please let Dawn know if you would like to check one out or reserve one for a particular month.

Summer reading program coordinators take note!  The Public Library Association (PLA) needs your input for a nation-wide survey to gather information about public library summer reading programs across the United States.

You can access the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ndsr.  The online forms take only about 15 minutes to complete, and the survey will be available until December 31, 2012.

The PLA project will collect current summer reading information with this survey,  which will then be used to create a searchable national map of summer reading programs.  Ultimately, the goal is to create a national digital summer reading website available to all libraries through the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA).   The project is funded in part by an Institute of Museum and Library Services  planning grant.

You can read more about the project at http://summerreading.pla.org.  If you have questions about the project or survey, please contact Aaron Schmidt at aaron@influx.us.

The MOOC sounds like the latest monster from a dystopian YA novel, but actually, it’s much more real than that.  A MOOC is a massive, open, online course.  These free, college-level online courses are becoming more popular as universities such as Harvard and Stanford join the open education movement.  This is not a passing fancy.  Recently, 160,000 people signed up for a MOOC on artificial intelligence!

Why should libraries care?  Well, as this educational phenomenon grows, you might find yourself supporting some of these self-motivated learners at the library.  Libraries are always trying to gaze into the future to understand the shifts in technology and learning that could affect services, so this is one trend you might want to keep an eye on. Learning on the web may become more the norm than in-person classes in twenty years (or less?).  This also emphasizes how integral digital literacy will be for the next generations.

In addition, some of the more monetarily challenged librarians that I know might want to actually take some of these free courses for sheer edification.  You know, lifelong learning and all that jazz.  Incidentally, some of the first online courses to go up were out of Stanford University and focused on computer science.  The basics of networking, programming languages and gaming courses are still very popular MOOC’s that could be useful to librarians or your staff.

Traditionally, MOOC’s have not offered students college credit.  However, this is changing as universities get creative with ways to generate revenue.  In some cases, students can now pay to take a test after completing the courses in order to get college credit.  Experts predict that this will remain a very economical option as organizations such as Coursera bring universities together to share resources.

Want to know more?  Learn more about MOOCs with Wikipedia’s entry.  There’s a great list of references at the bottom with links to key articles on the web.