Blogging Documents

February 14 is election day in Tulsa County… though not all voters will need to go to the polls. Tulsa Public Schools district 5, Skiatook and Berryhill will vote on new school board representatives. Union, Jenks, and Owasso school districts will vote on bond initiatives. And Oklahoma House District 71 will hold special primary elections to fill the seat vacated by Dan Sullivan. View sample ballots at the Tulsa County Election Board website.

As you head to the polls you might notice a few changes… one might be that where you used to vote isn’t where you vote now. Yes, it’s true. Because of population shifts in and around Tulsa County the Election Board has redrawn precinct boundaries and your polling place could have changed. If your precinct did change, the Tulsa County Election Board mailed you a revised voter registration card with your new precinct information.

To help you locate your precinct, new or old, the Tulsa County Election Board provides the precinct locator. However, the precinct locator tool is being reconfigured to the new boundaries. Until this is up and running, view the new precinct map and the list of precincts. Of course we’ll post an update when the new locator tool is up and running.

Also new this election will be the voting machines. Rumor has it voters will experience little change with the new machines. A paper ballot will still be provided. Voters will mark choices and insert the ballot into the machine… same as always.

For those anxious to throw their weight behind one of the Republican presidential hopefuls, sorry, Feb 14 is not the day for this. All polls will be open March 6 for the Oklahoma Presidential Primary… more to come on this.

In preparation for the remodel of the Central Library this docs librarian has begun a major weeding project, and as such has been sorting through a sundry of Government issued publications identifying materials for discard. I recently worked my way through reports from the Office of Technical Assessment (OTA), a now defunct office that advised Congress on all matters of technology.

The Federation of American Scientists offers this about the OTA – “Through eleven Congressional sessions, OTA became a key resource for Congressional members and staff confronting technological issues in crafting public policy. Its existence brought a healthy balance to the analytical resources available to the executive and legislative branches of government.”

The OTA advised Congress on how new or existing technology would impact areas such as health care, energy, trade, and education. Going through these reports, I’m constantly struck by how relevant the topics are today. Who would have guessed that email would cause a complete shake up of the U.S. Postal Service? Um, the OTA, that’s who… Implications of Electronic Mail and Messages Systems for the U.S. Postal Service. Curious how solar power might effect the U.S. economy and environment? In 1978 the OTA made a prediction. Many of these reports offer recommendations and predictions on the technologies that today we take for granted… flat screens, technology in classrooms. And then there are reports on topics that continue to be a source of debate or alarm… Electronic Surveillance and Civil Liberties, Environmental Contaminants in Food.

The hindsight of seeing the forward thought of the OTA make this collection seem gem-like and worthy of preservation. Luckily, because the 20+ years of OTA reports have been digitized and made available online by the FAS & Princeton University, I suffer only slight guilt in the decision to remove these from our collection.

I hope all U.S. citizens keep in mind that your government makes available a variety of government publications that spans the gamut from technology research to military histories, to maps and park guides and beyond. To find more gems from your government, visit your local Federal Depository Library.

I almost forgot… The Boston Elbow is a prosthetic, battery powered, articulated arm that works in tandem with nerve stimulation. The Boston Elbow case study offered Congress an example of how technology could be used to expand prosthetic mobility options for amputees.

Representative John Sullivan is hosting 2 town halls tomorrow, Thursday, January 26.

Thursday January 26th 12 noon
Tulsa Community College, Center for Creativity,
910 S. Boston in downtown Tulsa.
This event takes place during the lunch hour and I encourage you to bring a brown bag lunch and join the conversation.

Thursday January 26th 5:00 p.m.
Hardesty Library,
8316 E. 93rd St. in south Tulsa.
This town hall will take place in the new children’s theater, Connor’s Cove at the Hardesty Library.

At midnight on January 18, 2012 many of the sites and services internet users know and love will go dark. The 24 hour internet blackout is in opposition to 2 pieces of proposed legislation – PIPA (S. 968) and SOPA (H.R. 3261).

Supporters of PIPA (PROTECT IP Act of 2011) and SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) claim that the legislation will crackdown on illegal online sharing of music, film, and other media.
Critics argue that the legislation will essentially privatize the internet putting the web under the control of government and corporate interests.

So which sites are going dark? Wikipedia, Mozilla, Reddit, WordPress, and OpenCongress among others. The blackout will last 24 hours.

The House of Representatives decided yesterday to kill their version of the legislation, but the Senate plans to bring PIPA to a floor vote on January 24. Make yourself aware of the potential repercussions or benefits of this legislation to professional media pirates, legitimate content creators and unsuspecting violators as well as casual travelers on the web. (while the Wikipedia is down, if you’re feeling inquisitive, AskUs… we still have books and would love to answer your questions.)

It’s that time of the year… Tax Time!! Accountants and tax preparers are sharpening their pencils and the average tax payer is anxiously awaiting the arrival of his/her W-2(s). As always, the Library is here to assist with tax forms and general tax information (not tax help).

All Tulsa City-County Library locations will have a selection of federal tax forms. Check your local branch library to learn which forms they have available. Printable forms can be accessed at IRS.gov.

The State of Oklahoma no longer provides paper forms. Printable and fillable forms can be accessed from the Oklahoma Tax Commission website: http://www.tax.ok.gov/formsnpubs.html. If you choose to print forms at a branch location, standard library printing fees will apply ($0.10/page).

E-file and free-file will be available beginning January 17, 2012. Local tax preparation assistance will be available some time in January. Check the Tulsa Organizations & Services database for locations and times.

If you need help accessing forms or learning where to go for preparation help, check the Library’s Tax Form Guide, IRS.gov or the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

Happy filing!