Seymour Library

Those books you've always been meaning to read

How do you define a classic? Some say a classic novel is one that stands the test of time. Says author and critic Italo Calvino, "A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say." For some of us, the classics are the books we've always been meaning to read - ones that are recommended and referenced so often that we feel as if we're missing out if we're unfamiliar with them.

In January Seymour Library will host the first meeting of its new classics book club. The selected book is a beloved one : Louisa May Alcott's "Little Women." The Coffee and Classics book club will meet at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 28. Subsequent meetings will be at 11 a.m. the last Saturday of the month.

Copies of "Little Women" are available at the library, and free eBook downloads are available. (See the end of this article for eBook details.)

The February meeting, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, will feature "Doctor Zhivago" by Boris Pasternak. The 1965 movie based on the book will be shown the week before, at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 18.

The March meeting, at 11 a.m. Saturday, March 31, will feature "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov.

The Coffee and Classics book club is a bit of an experiment. If there's enough interest, we'll continue the club beyond March.

("Little Women" is one of some 34,000 public domain books available as an eBook. The titles may be downloaded for free, never expire and don't count against your eBook borrowing limit. To download a public domain eBook, go to Digital Downloads and scroll all the way to the bottom of the right-hand column, to the section titled "Additional eBooks always available.")

 

 

 

 

Getting ready for tax season

Now that January is here, many patrons are looking for income tax forms. The library will have tax forms available, but they haven't arrived yet.

In the meantime, though, it's easy to get the forms you need. Federal and state income tax forms can be downloaded and printed. For federal forms, go to www.irs.gov . For state forms, go to www.tax.ny.gov .

You may also ask to have tax forms sent to you, a process that may take about two weeks. For federal tax forms, call the Internal Revenue Service at (800) 829-3676. For state tax forms, call (518) 457-5181. (The state does not have a toll-free number.) When you call these numbers, be prepared to listen to several recorded messages and menu options before reaching the proper extension.