The Brooklyn Public Library ended its passport services last Friday following an order from the federal government. Last fall, the U.S. Department of State sent notices to hundreds of nonprofit libraries nationwide notifying them that they could no longer participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility Program, as reported by the Associated Press. The library, which had offered passport application services since 2011, closed the facility on February 27.
A State Department spokesperson said the order was issued because federal law and regulations “clearly prohibit non-governmental organizations” from collecting and retaining fees for passport applications. Government-run libraries are not affected.
The program let Brooklyn residents apply for passports in person at the Central and Kings Highway branches for a $35 fee and also offered photo services for those needing updated photos, according to the Brooklyn Paper.
Computers and printers at the libraries made it easier for New Yorkers without access to those devices at home to complete the application process.
Passport services also generated substantial revenue for BPL. Tax records show the program brought in $716,450 in 2013, which a BPL spokesperson said essentially “sustained the passport services operation.”
State Department officials did not respond to questions about why the issue has emerged only now or how many libraries are affected by the cease and desist order.
A State Department spokesperson said, “passport services has over 7,500 acceptance facilities nationwide, and the number of libraries found ineligible makes up less than one percent of our total network,” as reported by the Associated Press.
Estimates from the American Library Association suggest that roughly 1,400 mostly nonprofit public libraries nationwide could be affected, or about 15 percent of all public libraries, depending on how many currently offer passport services.
The federal government’s move has sparked bipartisan opposition. Both Democratic and Republican politicians have already attempted to appeal the State Department’s decision, arguing that the loss of passport services will harm constituents and the libraries themselves.
Pennsylvania officials Sen. John Fetterman and Rep. John Joyce introduced bicameral and bipartisan legislation last month to enable all public libraries to serve as passport acceptance facilities designated by the State Department.
On February 6, Fetterman and Joyce, along with several members of Congress, including New York’s Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, wrote a letter urging Secretary of State Marco Rubio to allow libraries to continue processing passport applications through at least the end of 2026.
“In a time when demand for passports is surging, libraries are among the most accessible passport acceptance facilities, particularly for working families and rural residents,” the officials wrote.
“This abrupt determination, issued with little notice or explanation, has placed libraries, their employees, and the communities they serve in an untenable position through no fault of their own.”
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