Tax Forms and Free Tax Preparation in Dubuque in 2024

Updated: January 5, 2024

Tax Forms & Printing at Carnegie-Stout Public Library

The Iowa Department of Revenue is not distributing paper tax instruction booklets through Carnegie-Stout Public Library this year, and the selection from the IRS is very limited.

Library staff can help you find tax forms and instructions on the Internet and print them for 10 cents per side of a sheet. For more info call Carnegie-Stout Public Library at 563-589-4225 and ask for the Reference Desk.

Iowa Tax Forms

Iowa tax forms are available online at tax.iowa.gov/forms.

Help with Iowa forms and tax questions is available by calling 515-281-3114 or 800-367-3388.

Federal Tax Forms

Federal tax forms and instructions are available online at www.irs.gov/forms-instructions.

You can order free forms to be delivered to you by mail at www.irs.gov/forms-pubs/forms-and-publications-by-us-mail or by calling 800-829-3676.

Tax help is available by calling 800-829-1040. According to the IRS, live phone assistance is extremely limited at this time.

Free Tax Preparation in Dubuque

HACAP (Hawkeye Area Community Action Program) at hacap.org/taxes provides free and confidential tax preparation for individuals with low to moderate incomes. For details, please call HACAP in Dubuque at 563-556-5130 or send an email to taxes@hacap.org.

Carnegie-Stout Public Library's Book Press

Carnegie-Stout Public Library's book press appears to be about 120 years old.

Screw presses are used for bookbinding. They help keep the covers of books flat and in place while the glue is drying. Cast iron presses like this one were made in the early 1900s.

When Carnegie-Stout opened on October 20, 1902, the Dubuque Cabinet Makers Association, a furniture company in business from 1867 to 1909, was located at 10th and Main Streets.

Whether donated or sold to the library, this press sure has been around for a long time! Do you think it will still be here in another 120 years?

F.I.S.T. Movie Poster at Carnegie-Stout

The 1978 movie F.I.S.T. starring Sylvester Stallone was filmed in Dubuque 45 years ago. This movie poster donated by John McCormick is on display on Carnegie-Stout Public Library's 3rd Floor.

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Louie Fischer

About Louie

My name is Louie Fischer.  I’m a lifelong Dubuquer, and I’m proud to be an English teacher and the Girls’ Cross-Country coach at Dubuque Senior High School. If I’m not enjoying life at home with my wife Carolyn and my sons Lou and Ray, I’m probably out for a run.  

I like to read books about running and endurance training because it relates directly to my life as a coach, and it keeps the part of my mind sharp to read lots of different perspectives on the different ways to be a happy and successful runner.  I also like to read autobiographies and biographies of people I admire, which often translates into books about and/or written by rock stars and musicians I admire.  My wife and Dad are also trusted sources for new books to check out, so I often read things they pass my way.  As an English teacher, I’m usually reading something from our curriculum (and I do enjoy most of that content), but I always try to have a book at home going, too.  I like to read for about half an hour before I fall asleep.

(See the past Reader of the Month posts here)  

Q & A

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)? 

A. Best Book This Year:  Educated by Tara Westover
Best Book Ever:  East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. I like to read in my hammock when it’s warm enough and on the couch when it’s time to put the hammock in the garage for the winter.

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?

A. My wife called dibs on Barack Obama’s A Promised Land when I brought it home from River Lights this winter, so I’m excited to read it when she’s finished with it because I am the one who bought it in the first place. 

Q. What book do you think more people should read, and why do you think they should read it? 

A. I wish more people (especially my runners) would read Steve Magness and Brad Stulberg’s The Passion Paradox because the book outlines some really impactful ways to get the most enjoyment out the things you love to do without burning out and losing perspective. 

Q. What book has been the most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you? 

A. Robert Pirsig’s Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance has been a tough one for me to get into because it waxes philosophical in some pretty heavy ways that make me slow down my reading and think; this is good, but it’s tough to get momentum going.

Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?

A. My mom and I read a lot of Roald Dahl books together when I was a kid, and I loved them all.

Check out Louie Fischer's book list! 

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!

Who Can Use the Telegraph Herald Digital Archive

Thanks to a gift from the Clive W. and Mona M. Lacy Trust and a partnership with the Telegraph Herald, the Library now hosts a digital archive of the Telegraph Herald newspaper. Browse and search over fifty-seven thousand editions of the Telegraph Herald spanning almost two-hundred years. You may not even need a library card!

Who Can Use the Telegraph Herald Digital Archive?

In-Person Visitors

All in-person visitors may use the Telegraph Herald Digital Archive inside Carnegie-Stout Public Library. No library card is needed. Printing is 10 cents per page, and help is available at the 2nd Floor Reference Desk.

Dubuque Residents

Dubuque city residents may use the Telegraph Herald Digital Archive online by clicking on Browse the Archive and then entering the full number on the back of your library card with no spaces, and your PIN, which should be the last four digits of your phone number. If these numbers do not work, or if you do not have a library card, please call us at 563-589-4225 and ask for the Cards Desk.

Iowa Residents

Other Iowa residents may be eligible for a free Open Access library card which should enable you to use the Telegraph Herald Digital Archive online. For details, please call us at 563-589-4225 and ask for the Cards Desk.

Non-Residents

If you live outside of Iowa, you can purchase a non-resident card to use the Telegraph Herald Digital Archive online. For costs and more details, see Get A Card, or call us at 563-589-4225 and ask for the Cards Desk.

Free, No-Card Option

Another option is to try the free Dubuque Newspapers in Google News Archive. While this option does not support keyword searches, it is very handy for browsing by date, and it does not require a library card. For tips and tricks, see How to Find Dubuque Obituaries Online.

Also, the State Historical Society of Iowa provides free access to Iowa and Dubuque newspapers in NewspaperARCHIVE.com. Go to Digital Resources and then click on "NewspaperArchives Iowa Database." At that page, use "Go to Advanced Search" to narrow searches to Dubuque.

Reference Help

If you cannot find what you are looking for, our reference librarians at yourlibrarian@carnegiestout.org may be able to provide further assistance, or call us at 563-589-4225 and ask for the Reference Desk.

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Paul Kilgore

About Paul

I’ve taught English at Senior High School for over 20 years. A perfect day for me is spending it with my wife, Michelle and daughter, Julia. My other passions include physical fitness, my pets (two Yorkshire terriers and a cat), and, of course, reading.

(See the past Reader of the Month posts here) 

Q & A

Q. What is the best book you have read within the last year (or ever)?

A. That’s a tough call. I’d say the most enjoyable book I’ve read within the last year is one I bought at Goodwill called Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day by Joe Selvin. I’ve always been interested in that era of Rock and Roll and the Altamont tragedy specifically. The enjoyment and enrichment came from learning a ton about a subject I thought I already knew everything about. 

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. It depends. If it’s something I’m reading for fun, I like coffee shops. If it’s something challenging that requires a lot of focus, I prefer someplace quiet.

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next, and what about it is most exciting?

A. I’m a fan of Angie Thomas’ The Hate You Give. I had always felt it would be interesting to know more about the background of Mav Carter, father of the novel’s protagonist, Starr. Sure enough, Thomas recently released Concrete Rose, which focuses on Mav’s upbringing. I plan on reading that one soon.

Q. What book do you think more people should read, and why do you think they should read it?

A. I recently read So you’ve Been Publicly Shamed by Jon Ronson. It’s an entertaining book dealing with the pitfalls of internet shaming mobs. Though published six years ago, I feel it’s more relevant now than it was then.  Ronson’s final takeaway is that we should be kind to each other, especially on the internet where anonymity can bring out the worst in us. Though simplistic, I think it’s a philosophy more people should consider in our current cultural ethos.

Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?

A. When I was seven or eight we inherited a set of Encyclopedias from my grandparents. At the time, I was obsessed with big cats. My love for reading first developed while pouring over the entries on lions, tigers, and other exotic animals from those encyclopedias (Britannica, I think).

Check out Paul Kilgore's book list! 

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!