Need help with your taxes? We’ve partnered with United Way of Monroe County to offer free personal tax preparation by a Certified Tax Preparer. This free service helps residents who made less than $58,000 in 2021 file their federal and Indiana state tax returns and claim the earned income tax credit (EITC), if eligible.

Virtual Appointments

The Downtown Library is a virtual tax preparation site. Two-visit same-day drop off or two-visit scan options are available February 1–April 12 on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays from 2–6 PM. To schedule an appointment and get more information, please call 812-747-4836 or email MCPLtaxaide [at] gmail.com. You can expect to leave a message with your contact information and a volunteer will contact you to schedule an appointment.

  Read more about Free Tax Help

2021 is in the books! We’re taking a look back at the media that kept you entertained and educated last year. We tallied the numbers and here are our top circulating items of 2021!

Planning your 2022 reading list? There are some great options here, including Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. The internationally acclaimed and award-winning author will speak at our February 5 Power of Words event! Read more about Top Circulating Items of 2021

Kitty, her sister Imogen, and her father all have different ways of coping with the loss of their mother and wife. When her father takes a new job opportunity, the family moves to New York. Though you may think that moving to a different city would stop Kitty from constantly being reminded of her mom, the opposite seems to hold true, and Kitty is reminded of her mom everywhere she goes.

Glitter Gets Everywhere is a great book because provides a heartwarming way to approach the very difficult topic of the loss of a parent. The book would also be helpful if you are coping with the loss of any loved one. Additionally, it contains strong themes of family, connections, and holding onto memories. Recommended for readers ages 8–12.

Reviewed by Kim B., Children’s Librarian

After a year colored mainly by color-coded COVID maps, “Very Peri,” Pantone 17-3938, was just announced as the 2022 Pantone color of the year! Very Peri is described as a first time ever brand new Pantone color of their creation “whose courageous presence encourages personal inventiveness and creativity.”

The Pantone Color of the Year selection process requires thoughtful consideration and trend analysis. To arrive at the selection each year, Pantone’s color experts comb the world looking for new color influences. These can include entertainment, art, travel, lifestyles, sports, socio-economic conditions, new technologies, social media, and much more.

“Creating a new color for the first time in the history of our Pantone Color of the Year educational color program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place,” said Laurie Pressman, Vice President of the Pantone Color Institute. Read more about Very Peri Books Throughout History

Lily’s grandmother, Halmoni, would tell Lily and her sister Sam fantastic stories filled with stars, tigers, and magic whenever they’d visit. But when Halmoni gets sick and Lily and her family move in, the stories have a way of becoming real! Lily soon starts to see a mysterious tiger around their town which prompts her to make a desperate plan to trap the tiger to save Halmoni! 

When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller is a beautiful story that left me daydreaming about the origin of stories, the meaning of family, and the importance of heritage.

There are so many things to love about this book––the connection to Korean culture, the love of storytelling prevalent throughout the novel, the gentle coming-of-age themes, and the beautiful messages about family and coping with the imminent death of a loved one––it is no surprise that it won the 2021 John Newbery Medal! 

Recommended for readers ages 10–14. 

––Reviewed by Kim B., Children’s Librarian