Visiting Author Max Allan Collins

The Metro Library Network is proud to introduce the Salon Series, a new, quarterly author event which will be held at the Campbell Steele Gallery (1064 7th Ave) in Marion. This series is designed to be an opportunity to spend an evening in a beautiful and intimate space and to meet an author with ties to the Iowa Writers Workshop. Each event in the series will include a reading followed by conversation, all enhanced by the gallery's ambiance. We will provide snacks and the Campbell Steele Gallery bar will have beverages available for purchase. We kick off the series on Thursday, March 21 at 7 p.m. with author Max Allan Collins, the New York Times bestselling creator of Road to Perdition and graphic novelist, actor, director and musician. Join us for a special evening in this beautiful space and discover the talent located in our midst. There is no charge for this event.

We have received most all of the major federal tax forms and they are available in our lobby (1040 instruction books should arrive by March 12). The State of Iowa no longer prints forms. If you need Iowa tax forms, we suggest you plan ahead and order early. (We will be able to print forms for you, but we will have to charge you per page.) You can get any necessary Iowa tax forms and instructions in various ways:

• Online at http://iowa.gov/tax (fill the forms out online or print yourself)
• Call the Department of Revenue's order line at 800-532-1531
• Email to IowaTaxForms@iowa.gov
• By mail: Iowa Department of Revenue; P.O. Box 10460; Des Moines, IA 50306-0460

We have scheduled several sessions this month to help you learn how to download library ebooks to your ereader. Just come to any one; bring your ereader and any cords you have for it. We'll do our best to get you set up and comfortable with the process.

• Thursday, March 7 at 3 p.m.
• Tuesday, March 12 at 2 p.m.
• Wednesday, March 20 at 10 a.m.
• Tuesday, March 26 at 6:30 p.m.

March is full of programming for Linn Area Reads, our community reading project! The 2013 selection is Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Head out to Barnes and Noble for book discussions on Thursdays March 7, 14, and 21 starting at 6:30. Theatre Cedar Rapids is showing Pride and Prejudice, the movie, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, at 7:30 on Thursday, March 28.  

And we are having some fun drawings here at the Marion Library throughout the month! We have a Pride and Prejudice trivia game going on all month with drawings for neat prizes (canvas totes, mugs, keychains, as pictured on our Facebook page), and grab one of our Pride and Prejudice sequels, adaptations, spin-offs, or read-alikes from our display to qualify you for a drawing for a Pride and Prejudice keychain. Find out more about Linn Area Reads and our programs at the project's website We are sorry, but the two Tea & Scones events are sold out.

Personal financial representatives Steve and Vince from Principal Financial continue their free financial education series Protecting Your Dreams Against Disability on March 6, and From Here to Security on March 20. Remember, there's no charge for these classes - come and join us to learn how to manage your finances effectively.  

Join Timothy and Julia Bickel as they share their experiences teaching in China. They'll talk about and show pictures of Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, and Chongqing; as well as the areas where they taught: Fuling, Huanggang, and Sichuan province in the area of the 2008 earthquake. This program will be interactive with comments and Q&A. It's scheduled for Thursday, March 14 at 7p.m. We are excited about having the Bickels visit!   

Our Coffeehouse Fiction meeting for March is moving! Just for this month, we'll meet at the Heritage Center (590 10^th St), right across 10^th St from the Library. The book selected for our March 19 meeting is Another Piece of My Heart, by Jane Green; if there is no copy available when you stop in, be sure to place a reserve! The book is also available from any popular book retailer if you'd like to purchase your own copy. The library will still provide treats; bring your own beverage for this month. Thanks to the Heritage Center for hosting!