Celia’s Fourth Blog – LAR-1

As I said in a previous blog, the beginning of the new year brings about reports. I have now completed the W-2s and W-3 and have sent them off to the IRS and Indiana Department of Revenue. These reports are fairly easy since I keep an Excel spreadsheet showing gross earnings, all deductions taken out and then the net wages that are paid for each pay period. Since the W-2s and W-3 are just summaries of that, it only takes transferring the information. So it is relatively easy.

I wish I could say that the other report I had to do was as easy. Every year, public libraries are sent hardcopy forms from the State Board of Accounts (SBOA). These reports are to record the beginning balances, the incomes, the disbursements and the ending balances of all funds in the library. These entries leave an ending balance that must be showed as to where it is, whether it's in savings, checking or investment accounts and the banks where they are located. For the last two years, I have done this by typing the numbers onto the hardcopy forms and mailing it. This year, the accompanying letter requested that this form be filled out electronically and gave a web site where it could be downloaded. I also received a special letter from our regional director of the SBOA with the same request offering his assistance if problems are incurred.

Well, I had a problem. When going to the prescribed web site, it said "Sorry, the page you requested was not found." I tried everything I could think of to get the web site to work and still got the same message. I then called the regional director as he requested with my problem, unfortunately that was Martin Luther King Day and he was off. He returned my call and told me that the web site address was wrong and gave me the correct one. I then downloaded the form and opened it to begin. Imagine my surprise when the form looked nothing like the hardcopy form. The online form had one column per page. Thus I had to input all the beginning balances than go to the next page and enter all the incomes on the next page and then all the disbursements on the next page. After that I had to enter the bank account amounts. The only way I could figure out whether the amounts were entered correctly was to print out all the pages of the report, because it inserted error message on the printed form. I end up printing it out about 4 or 5 times before all the little errors were corrected and that was after I had completely filled out the hardcopy form.

When I finally got it done, it gave an option of emailing it directly to them. I tried to do this but I did not receive a confirmation that I really trusted. I ended up sending a printed out copy of the form to them along with the signature page. I figure that way I'm sure that it is going to get to them.

I really hope that the state updates this form before they force everyone to use it. People who do not have computer experience and patience will be driven totally crazy by this setup. This year it was optional but they are saying that it will be required in the future. The disbursement part of the form had to be electronically sent to the DLGF (Department of Local Government Finance). The letter from them requesting this had the correct website and was a little better designed. I also had to send the DLGF an Indebtedness Report which was very easy since we don't have any so that only required a quick email.

This coming week, we are having "new-to-us" computers installed into our network to replace some old computers for our patrons. The Town Court donated two computers along with a computer they used as server to the library. We also have one that the President of the Friends of the Roanoke Public Library refurbished from our old circulation computer. Some of our patrons have seen the two new 19" LCD monitors and can't wait to try them. I sure hope all goes well but I am expecting some "challenges" to appear. Stay tuned to find out what they are…..