Free Tax Assistance in Western Washington County

Please note: For sites that operate by appointment only, you will need to sign-up early in the tax season to secure an appointment, and all sites are operated by volunteers, so information is subject to change.

Spanish Language

Bienestar-Hillsboro
951 SE 13th Ave., Hillsboro
Phone: (503) 693-2937 x 101 (call for appointment)
Thursdays 5-9 PM & Saturdays 9 AM–2 PM (By appointment only)
Help available February 4th–April 15th.
Bring the following to the appointment. (if applicable): social security number or ITIN card, W-2's, form 1099, unemployment info., anything supporting income and expenses, prior year returns, picture I.D. This is the only site where you can apply for an ITIN card if you don't already have one (for people born in Mexico). First time ITIN applicants need original birth certificate and photo ID from U.S. or Mexico. For children needing ITIN, report card or medical records required.

English Language (or bring your own interpreter)

Forest Grove Senior Center
2037 Douglas St., Forest Grove
Phone: (503) 357-2021
Tuesdays 8:30 AM–4:30 PM & Thursdays 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (By appointment only)
Call or visit to make an appointment. Help available Feb 2nd–April 13th. Open to all low and moderate income persons (not restricted to seniors).
All returns will be e-filed. Bring the following to the appointment (if applicable): social security numbers or ITIN cards for taxpayer and dependents, W-2 forms, form 1099, unemployment information, anything supporting income and expenses, prior year returns, picture I.D.

Hillsboro Police Department Education Center
250 SE 10th. Ave, Hillsboro
No phone.
Saturdays, 8 AM–5 PM through April 10th. (Walk-ins only—all slots usually filled by 9:30 AM)
Same paperwork requirements as per Forest Grove Senior Center.

Hillsboro Main Library
2850 NE Brookwood Pkwy, Hillsboro. (Walk-ins only)
Mondays and Tuesdays, 8:00 AM–7:15 PM through April 13th.
Same paperwork requirements as per Forest Grove Senior Center.

Hillsboro Shute Park
775 SE 10th Ave., Hillsboro
Wednesdays and Fridays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM through April 14th.
(By appointment only, sign up in person at library. Walk-ins accepted if time permits, before 3 PM. The last appointment begins at 4:30 PM.)
Same paperwork requirements as per Forest Grove Senior Center.

Other AARP Tax Aid in Washington County

see http://www.aarp.org/..., and search by zip code or by county.

Tax Forms

Oregon Department of Revenue, because of the State's budget problems, has decided to send NO tax forms to Oregon public libraries in 2010.

If you prepared your taxes last year, you should have received your State of Oregon tax booklet in the mail.

Most WCCLS libraries do have reproducible federal forms available.

To order forms on line:
Federal government: http://www.irs.gov
Oregon: http://www.oregon.gov/DOR
Other states: http://www.taxadmin.org/fta/link/forms.html

To order forms by phone:
Federal government: 1-800-829-3676 (24 hrs.)
Federal government via fax: 702-368-9694
Oregon: 1-800-356-4222 ( toll-free in OR)

To order forms by mail:
Oregon Department of Revenue
P.O. Box 14999, Salem, OR 97309-0990

Teen Summer Reading Art Contest Announces Winners!

The First Place Winner of the Teen Summer Reading Art Contest is Jennifer Zhou!

Washington County Cooperative Library Services is pleased to announce the winners of the 2010 Teen Summer Reading Art Contest!!

1st Place—Jennifer Zhou (Age 16, Westview High School)

2nd Place—Melissa Reneé Axtell (Age 16, Gaston High School)

Honorable Mention—Tie:
Sarah Hansen (Age 13, Homeschooled Student) & Daniel Kim (Age 15, Southridge High School)

Our librarians are sending out a big thank you to everyone who submitted a piece for consideration. In total, over 40 pieces were received!

Artwork judging took place on Thursday March 4th. Judges were looking for original pieces that create an exciting representation of Summer Reading in Washington County and incorporate the 2010 Teen Summer Reading theme ("Make Waves @ Your Library").

In addition, pieces were examined for reproducibility. The winning piece will be used to create posters, bookmarks, buttons, and a wide variety of promotional materials.

Special thanks to our 2010 Panel of Judges:

• Heidi Byerly, Forest Grove teen library user
• Mady Harlan, Garden Home teen library user
• Grace Nepokroeff, Tigard teen library user
• Rebecca Richardson, Cedar Mill teen library user
• Mariam Rija, Hillsboro teen library user
• Sarah LaBarre, Artist and Oregon College of Art and Craft Instructor
• Rick Samuelson, WCCLS Youth Services Librarian

EBooks debut Monday, March 15 via Library2Go

On Monday, March 15th the Washington County Cooperative Library Services (WCCLS) will expand its downloadable collection with the addition of eBooks available at www.wccls.org/library2go.

This new service is made possible through WCCLS’s participation in a statewide consortium known as Library2Go. From the comfort of their homes, WCCLS cardholders can browse the collection, check out, and download eBooks, audiobooks and videos anytime, 24/7.

“Using local funds, the consortium members have pooled their resources to enable the purchase of thousands of best-selling and classic titles. All of the eBooks can be downloaded and read on your personal computer or compatible portable reading device,” said Eva Calcagno, Director of the Washington County Cooperative Library Services.

Oregon’s Library2Go opening eBook collection features thousands of titles including fiction such as Sue Grafton’s U is for Undertow and non-fiction such as Accidental Billionaires: the founding of Facebook, a tale of sex, money, genius and betrayal by Ben Mezrich.

eBooks can be read on a PC or Mac® using free reader software called Adobe® Digital Editions. eBooks can also be transferred to popular e-reading devices like the Sony® Reader and the Barnes & Noble nook™.

To check out eBooks, audiobooks, and video, users need a valid WCCLS library card, computer, and Internet connection. Once downloaded, digital media can be enjoyed on your home or office computer and transferred to popular devices such as MP3 players, iPods®, Smartphones, and more.

At the end of the lending period, titles automatically expire and are returned to the virtual collection. Users may also choose to return eBooks early and gain access for checking out additional titles.

Library2Go is sponsored in Washington County with funding from WCCLS, a library Cooperative serving nearly 520,000 residents. Library2Go is also supported in whole or part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

3/19: Beaverton Mayor to Dedicate Korean Books

On Friday, March 19, Mayor Denny Doyle will officiate a ceremony at the Beaverton City Library at 2 p.m. to dedicate more than 1,000 Korean language, cultural and educational books. He will also publicly recognize this generous gift from Beaverton's sister city Cheonan, South Korea.

The public is invited to attend and refreshments will be served.

In July of 2009, Mayor Sung Moo Yong and a delegation of nine Korean government officials from Cheonan visited Beaverton to commemorate the 20th anniversary of their sister city relationship.

During the visit, Mayor Sung joined Mayor Doyle on a tour of the Beaverton City Library, which featured the International Languages Room.

The tour sparked Mayor Sung's interest in contributing to the Beaverton community through a contribution of Korean language books.

"Beaverton is very grateful for this one-of-a-kind gift that is sure to broaden our understanding and awareness of Korean culture," Doyle said. "The greatest way to show our appreciation for Cheonan's generosity is by utilizing these books in our educational and cultural pursuits."

Beaverton City Library is located at 12375 SW Fifth St. at Hall Blvd.

3/22-28: OCAC closed for Spring Break

The OCAC library will be closed for Spring Break from Monday March 22nd through Sunday, March 28th.

While the library will not be open, holds placed on OCAC materials will not be delayed by the closure.

Featured Resource — SIRS Researcher

Do the positive aspects of social networking sites outweigh the negatives? Should animals be kept in zoos? Should the minimum legal drinking age be lowered to 18?

Research the pros and cons of these topics and other complex social issues of the day in SIRS Researcher.

Critical current issues and enduring social issues are covered through articles, multimedia, and documents from over 1,800 national and international sources.

A perfect resource for teens' homework assignments or adults' catching up on the current controversies in the news.

Check out the SIRS Researcher with your WCCLS library card handy.

Internet Bandwidth Reduced at WCCLS Libraries

Washington County Cooperative Library Services and its member libraries share one Internet connection with all Washington County agencies, many city governments, and other agencies. Sharing a connection this way makes the Internet more affordable for everyone, but Internet traffic in the libraries is beginning to overload the connection. As WCCLS is a responsible partner with these other agencies, Internet bandwidth on its network is being reduced beginning Monday, March 1, 2010.

In the libraries, users of public Internet stations and wireless networks will experience slower downloads. Websites offering streaming audio and video (YouTube, for example) may not be usable at times. However, reduced bandwidth in the library should not affect searching for books, music and videos in the online catalog, nor should it impact placing requests or viewing your patron account information.

Home users, on the other hand, could notice slower response from the library catalog and their patron accounts. However, accessing information from Online Resources or downloading Library2Go books should not be affected.

We are working together with our partners to increase Internet bandwidth by June, 2010. In the meantime, we must be good neighbors and manage library Internet traffic responsibly, so that all those who serve the citizens of Washington County will have access to the information they need to do their jobs. We appreciate your understanding that temporarily reducing Internet bandwidth in WCCLS libraries is for the good of all.

Washington County Library Use Surpasses Record Statewide Growth

The Oregon State Library recently reported that statewide library book, CD, and DVD checkouts grew more than 7% in 2009.

WCCLS achieved an amazing 16% increase in item checkouts in 2009. Washington County Libraries have seen double-digit increases in almost every measure of use over the last two years.

Let's look at the numbers, shall we?

10,553,359	total number of books and other materials checked out by WCCLS patrons in 2009 (equal to 2,680 books per hour or more than 28,913 per day)
5,340,443	total website visits to wccls.org (about 14,917 per day)
3,855,731	total number of visitors to WCCLS member libraries in the last fiscal year (nearly 11,000 per day)
172,971	total attendance at library sponsored children’s programs in the past fiscal year (about 480 per day)
41,444	number of new patrons registered for library cards in 2009 (about 116 per day)
24,783	number of children and teens participated in the 2009 Summer Reading Program (an increase of 56% over the last five years

WCCLS libraries stretch funding to meet local needs and rise in demand

"WCCLS member libraries provide quality service to the more than 280,000 Washington County library patrons, even while experiencing tremendous growth in use," reports WCCLS Director Eva Calcagno.

"The 2006 WCCLS local option levy allowed libraries to restore reduced open hours, rebuild book budgets and meet demand for childrens' and adult library programs. Extended open hours, book budgets and library programs are contributing to the surge in library use."

Tax Help and Tax Forms

photo by "Cowboy" Ben Alman

UPDATED 2/12/2010
Need some tax help? Or some federal tax forms? Your WCCLS library may be able to help.

Currently five WCCLS libraries are pairing with AARP volunteers to offer tax assistance. Here are the details:

Beaverton City Library

• By appointment only
• Sign up for appointments while visiting the library

Hillsboro Main Library

• Walk-ins only. No appointments.
• Mondays and Tuesdays, 8:00 AM–8:00 PM
• Last walk-in, 7:15 PM

Hillsboro Shute Park

• Wednesdays and Fridays 10:00 AM–5:00 PM
• Appointments only, sign up in person at library
• Walk-ins accepted if time permits, before 3 PM

Tigard

• By appointment only. Call (503) 684-6537 for appointments.
• Saturdays, starting February 6th, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM

Tualatin Public Library

• by appointment only, call (503) 691-3072
• for taxpayers with low- and moderate-income, especially those age 60 and older
• Saturdays, February 6–April 10, 10:00 AM–4:00 PM

Other AARP Tax Aid in Washington County
see http://www.aarp.org/VMISLocator/searchTaxAideLocations.do, and search by zip code or by county.

Free Federal Online Filing
The IRS has links to various free file software companies. This service is free to anyone whose adjusted gross income is $57,000 or less in 2009.

The online application is available 24/7. It asks you simple questions and puts your answers on the right forms. It then checks the math. You'll get an IRS confirmation within 48 hours, and your refund in as soon as 10 days.

Federal (and State of Oregon) Tax Forms
Common federal tax forms are available at:

• Beaverton City Library
• Cornelius Public Library
• Forest Grove City Library
• Hillsboro Main Library
• Hillsboro Shute Park Library
• Sherwood Public Library
• Tigard Public Library
• Tualatin Public Library
• West Slope Public Library

Most WCCLS libraries also have federal reproducible forms available.

Oregon Department of Revenue, because of the State's budget problems, has decided to send no personal income tax forms to Oregon public libraries in 2010.

State of Oregon personal income tax forms are available at some post offices as well as online, but not at Washington County Libraries (except West Slope Library, which got a few boxes of personal income tax forms from the post office).

If you prepared your taxes last year, you should have received your State of Oregon tax booklet in the mail.

WCCLS libraries will have State of Oregon forms available to print out or copy for a nominal fee.