The Electronic Newsletter of the Palm Beach County Library System 

Contents: 
1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes 
2/ Overview of the InfoTrac Databases
3/ Tax Time at the Library
4/ In Next Month's Issue

1/ Introduction to Books & Bytes 

Welcome to the March issue of Books & Bytes. In this issue we will provide an overview of the InfoTrac group of databases. Also, with the tax deadline approaching, we will provide a summary of the services that the library offers for the tax season.
We hope you enjoy receiving Books & Bytes. Please let us know what you think of our publication by writing to: webmaster@pbclibrary.org

2/ Overview of the InfoTrac databases

Do you need to find information on a new medication? Did you misplace a telephone number? Are you aiming to invest in a business, but need to do some research first? Information to answer all these questions is available through InfoTrac.

InfoTrac is a large collection of databases available in every Palm Beach County Library System location and through our web site. With InfoTrac, you can search large collections (a.k.a. databases) of journals and other materials through a simple web format. Each database has a name, a date range, and a description to help you find the best one to match your particular needs.

To use the InfoTrac databases in the library, simply visit your local branch and sign up to use a computer. There may be a short waiting period if the branch is busy. To access InfoTrac from home, visit our web site at http://www.pbclibrary.org and click on the "Electronic Databases" link in the left-side column under Research Resources. Please be aware that from home, InfoTrac will prompt you to enter a valid library card number. If your card has expired or is suspended due to fines or overdue material, you will not be able to access the databases.

Here is a quick summary of all InfoTrac databases that we offer:

Custom Newspapers 
Offers full text newspaper articles from a broad range of papers including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Christian Science Monitor.

Health Reference Center 1997 - Mar 2001 
Use this database to find articles on: Fitness, Pregnancy, Medicine, Nutrition, Diseases, Public Health, Occupational Health & Safety, Alcohol and Drug Abuse, HMOs, Prescription Drugs, etc.. Please note: the material contained in this database is intended for informational purposes only.

Acxiom InfoBase Phone Directory 2001 - 1st quarter Acxiom InfoBase Phone Directory (formerly Pro CD Phone) contains business and residential listings from United States telephone directories. Search by name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number, business heading, or SIC code.

General BusinessFile ASAP 1998 - Mar 2001 
Use this database to research a broad range of business and management topics. Includes directory listings for over 150,000 companies as well as investment analysts' reports on major companies and industries.

Business and Company Resource Center 1980 - Mar 2001 
Business and Company Resource Center brings together in a single database company profiles, company brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, chronologies, and periodicals. Search this database to find detailed company and industry news and information.

InfoTrac OneFile 1980 - Mar 2001 
Use this database to search humanities, education, business, science, current events, art, politics, economics, social science, law, health care, computers, technology, environmental issues, and general interest topics.

Remember, InfoTrac is a free service to all library patrons and card holders. We hope you will make full use of this wonderful resource.

3/ Tax Time at the Library

Internal Revenue Service tax forms and VITA volunteer tax assistance are as close as your public library. 

The Main Library and many of our branch locations are providing copies of the federal IRS 1040 series tax forms as a public service. Taxpayers may contact the librarians and public service staff at their nearest library location for information about the availability of specific forms. The Library System receives multiple copies of 1040 tax forms and instruction booklets through the IRS Library Program Service. The service also includes reproducible master copies of most forms needed by taxpayers.

In addition to income tax forms, Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) staff are scheduled to assist taxpayers at several locations throughout the county until April 14. These sites include:

Main Library, Tuesdays from 5:00 p.m.-8:30 p.m. 
                     and Saturdays, 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. 

Okeechobee Blvd. Branch, Wednesdays from 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Southwest County Regional, Fridays from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m.

A complete list of VITA tax assistance sites in Palm Beach County is available at the Main Library Research Center. You may give them a call at: 233-2600.

There will be a Florida Intangible Tax Workshop at the Main Library on Tues., March 27, 2:00 p.m. presented by the Florida Department of Revenue. Presenters will answer questions about when to file, discounts, exemptions, penalties, and changes in the law affecting 2001 returns. 

In addition to IRS services, the Library System subscribes to the Commerce Clearing House (CCH) Tax Forms and Publications Service. Public computer terminals are available at Palm Beach County Library System locations to enable taxpayers to access the official IRS Internet web site at: www.irs.gov.