Monday, March 24, 2014

Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event for Framingham Residents

 

Have waste you need to dispose of this spring? Mark your calendars because next month the Town of Framingham Solid Waste Division is sponsoring a drop-off day.

Bring your hazardous waste items to McCarthy Elementary (8 Flagg Drive) on Saturday, April 12, between the hours of 9am-1pm.

This event is at no cost, but you must be a Framingham resident (you will need to show your license.) Be sure to double check the flyer above to see what kind of items are acceptable.

If you have any questions, contact the Solid Waste Division by phone at 508-532-6001 or by e-mail at recycling@framinghamma.gov.

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Do genealogy research using Heritage Quest Online

Curious about your roots?

Did you know we offer an e-Resource dedicated to genealogy? Get started today with our database: Heritage Quest Online.

All patrons are welcome to use the site on any of the library computers; additionally, Framingham card-holders can access the database from home.

What can you do on Heritage Quest?
  • Search the Census:
    • Complete set of U.S. Federal Census records from 1790-1940. (Many of the years are indexed and searchable, but otherwise you can browse the full set of census images by year, state, and county/town, and scroll until you find what you are looking for. For instructions on how to best search the database, click on "Help" in the upper right-hand corner.)
    • Click here to access the Census "Getting Started" guide
  • Search Books:
    • People, Places, or Publications in over 28,000 histories
  • Search the PERSI™ Archive:
    • Subject index covering 6,600 genealogy and local history periodicals in English and French, between 1800-2009
    • Over 2.3 million article citations
  • Search Revolutionary War:
    • Selected records of an estimated 80,000 pension and bounty-land-warrant application files, mainly between the years 1800-1900
    • Files belong to the Records of the Veteran Administration
  • Search Freedman's Bank:
    • Records from the Freedman's Savings and Trust Company (banking institution established in 1965 for freed slaves)
    • Includes names of depositors, dates of entries, places of birth, residencies, ages, names of employers, wives & husbands, family members, etc., between the years 1865-1974
  • Search U.S. Serial Set:
    • House and Senate documents and reports from 1789-1969
    • Includes Private Relief Actions, Memorials, and Petitions of the U.S. Congress
If you need any help, stop by the Reference Desk and we can show you how to log-on. You can also e-mail us at fplmail6@minlib.net or call us at 508-532-5570 x4361.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Free Tax Help

Are you looking for some help with your taxes, but don't want to pay a fee? Here are some local options for getting free tax help:
SMOC (South Middlesex Opportunity Council), Framingham

Located at 300 Howard St. in Framingham, the Opportunity Center offers free tax help, by appointment only. Call 508-620-2300 for information.

Callahan Senior Center
AARP Tax Counselors will be at Callahan Center (535 Union Ave., Framingham) to assist seniors with filing their taxes. They are available on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from mid-February through mid-April. This program is designed for people who meet the following guidelines: single with annual income of $40,000 or under, OR  married joint filing with annual income of up to $60,000. No complex tax returns can be completed by AARP Tax Counselors. Appointments are required; call the Callahan Center at 508-532-5980 to schedule a time. There is no charge for this service, however donations to the Friends of Callahan are welcomed. The center is open Tue 1:00PM-4:00PM, Thu 2:00PM-4:00PM, and Fri 1:00PM-4:00PM. 
 

Natick Community-Senior Center
Help is offered for people of all ages, not just seniors. IRS trained and certified tax volunteers are available by appointment only help with federal and state income tax forms, through April 15th. While there is no charge for this service, donations to the "Natick Council On Aging" are always appreciated. For more information call the Natick Human Service & Council On Aging at (508) 647-6540.

Want help but have no time for appointments?
TurboTax (www.turbotax.com) allows you to file Federal returns for free online and includes access to tax professionals for questions by phone. State returns can be done for an additional cost. And H&R Block (http://www.hrblock.com/) allows free online filing of Federal returns and includes live chat with tax professionals.

In addition, you may be able to file your taxes electronically for free using the IRS website for federal taxes, and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue website for state taxes. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has free online filing and fillable forms (depending on income) for federal returns (http://www.irs.gov/uac/Free-File:-Do-Your-Federal-Taxes-for-Free). State returns can be filed online at https://wfb.dor.state.ma.us/webfile/wsi/Index.aspx. You must meet certain criteria to be able to file electronically.