The James V. Brown Library has been notified by the State Department that it has been deactivated as a Passport Acceptance Facility due to its status as a non-governmental organization. The final day the library will offer passport services is Feb.12.

The State Department confirmed that this action is not related to the quality or reliability of the Library’s passport services, which have been provided successfully for the past 18 years, but is based solely on a change in enforcement of eligibility requirements affecting nonprofit organizations, according to information from the library.

“It’s disappointing that we won’t be able to offer this service to our community anymore,” said Robbin Degeratu, passport acceptance facility manager and assistant director at the library.

“Libraries provide accessible and convenient passport services, especially in rural communities like ours. More than 25 libraries across Pennsylvania are being affected by this change, and together we processed over 41,000 passport applications last year,” she said.

Last year the passport services generated around $90,000 in revenue for the library.

In an effort to find a permanent legislative solution that would allow nonprofit public libraries to resume service as Passport Acceptance Facilities, bipartisan legislation, the Community Services Access Act, was introduced in Congress to restore eligibility for nonprofit public libraries,

“If legislation is passed to restore eligibility, the James V. Brown Library will be first in line to rejoin the program,” said Degeratu.

“In the meantime, we will continue to offer passport photo services, which are not limited to certified acceptance facilities,” she added.

According to the news release from the library, photo services will be still available at a cost of $10 after the Feb. 12 cutoff. These will be provided in print or digital format.

The library is urging members of the community to contact their federal elected officials asking them to support the Community Services Access Act (H.R. 6997) which would preserve equitable passport services through nonprofit public libraries, and also to advocate for a companion Senate bill. Advocacy updates are available by emailing:

SavePassports@JVBrown.edu.