Need a Passport? Now You Can Apply for One at the Library Center
May 29, 2014 —
The Library Center is the area’s new, one-stop travel shop.
Beginning Monday, June 9, Springfield and Greene County-area residents will be able to apply for a U.S. passport and get a passport photo taken at the Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell Ave. The service will be offered during Library Center hours seven days a week – bringing a welcome convenience to the passport application process. No appointments are necessary.
Two years after its initial application, The Springfield-Greene County Library District was designated as a passport acceptance facility by the U.S. Department of State. The Library Center will be the only branch in the district handling applications for now. The district may expand the service to other branches in the future. Some libraries across the state and the country already serve as passport acceptance centers, but this is a first for the Springfield-Greene County Library District.
Individuals may apply for a passport and get a passport photo taken at the Library Center during these hours by asking a staff member at the Reference Desk:
- 8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday
- 1-4:30 p.m. Sunday
Before visiting the Library Center, individuals first must consult the U.S. Department of State’s official page, www.travel.state.gov to download an application and for details on what documents and fees are required when applying at the Library Center. The library also has application forms.
Other passport acceptance centers in Greene County include the U.S Post Office at 500 W. Chestnut Expressway, and post offices in Nixa, Ozark, Republic, Willard and Ash Grove.
“While the Library respects the U.S. Postal Service’s experience with passport applications, we believe the Library District can supplement this important service with more convenient day, evening and weekend hours,” said Gay Wilson, planning and development librarian who worked on the application.
“The Library is already the public’s source of travel information, with its extensive travel collection and speedy access to answers about required immunizations and travel restrictions,” Wilson added. “Now we learn that there is a growing need for passports due to current travel regulations. We are glad the library can respond to that need. Travelers will no longer have to take off work or take children out of school to apply for a passport during the more limited hours at the post office facility.”
“Moreover, libraries have extensive experience handling identification and money, while providing excellent customer service, Wilson said, adding that the library has long-time experience in providing voter registration for the Greene County Clerk’s office .
Library Center staff members have undergone the government’s required training for correctly and securely handling passport applications. The Library purchased the necessary equipment – about $600 total – and adopted all approved procedures to provide accurate and secure processing of passport applications.
The fee structure is as follows. Only check or money orders are accepted:
- The full application fee collected at that time will be payable to the U.S. Department of State. A federally required, $25 execution fee per application is payable to the Springfield-Greene County Library District. (Fees and all details are available on the State Department’s website, www.travel.state.gov.)
- Anyone needing a passport-quality photo at any time can pay $10 fee to the library district, or they may bring their own. (Cost for passport-quality photos taken at other locations varies from $7.95 to $11.99.)
Proceeds from fees payable to the library district will go toward library operations.
The library is a complete travel resource.
The new passport application service is just one more way travelers launch their next adventure at the library.
- Bring your own device and use the Library’s free WiFi, or use a free public computer to book your hotels, airline or train tickets, car rental, tours and places to eat along the way.
- You can find books and travel guides, nonfiction and “best-of” destination resources through the Library’s online catalog, thelibrary.org/catalog. Some items are available in multiple formats. The Library has travel materials for children, too! And if you don’t find what you need, we can get it for you from other library systems.
- Take a visual tour of your upcoming journey through a documentary or travel film, or listen to the music of your travel destination, available on CDs and DVDs through thelibrary.org/catalog.
- Pick up cultural cues, historical background and learn about the people who live there through a colorful, online resource, CultureGrams*. You can also find it at thelibrary.org/history.
- Learn the language! Check out a language CD from the Library, or choose from more than 60 languages to learn while you pick up cultural tips. Visit the popular online language learning system, Mango Languages, or go to thelibrary.org/mango. You can create a free account and at the start page and take lessons at your own pace, or click Quick Start and select a language.