Many Suffolk County libraries will no longer offer passport services

More than a dozen Suffolk County libraries will cease to offer passport services next month after the U.S. Department of State said nonprofit, public libraries could no longer serve as passport acceptance facilities.

Suffolk Cooperative Library System director Kevin Verbesey said 17 libraries now offering the service would cease passport operations on Feb. 13. That's because the State Department said federal law does not explicitly allow public libraries that are nonprofits to collect and retain execution fees for processing passport applications.

"A number of libraries and communities in Suffolk are impacted by this and it will make it that much more challenging for U.S. Citizens and local residents to get passports," Verbesey said in a statement. "This is especially concerning at a time when Real IDs — like passports — are required on all airline flights."

The affected libraries received a notice from the State Department on Jan. 22. 

"Our reaction was disappointment," said Jay Janoski, assistant director of Westhampton Free Library. "As a library, we try to diversify the sort of services that we offer the public. And so this was just another really nice service that we could offer people."

There are 21 nonprofit 501(c)(3) libraries in Suffolk. Those not currently offering passport services would not be able to do so in the future, Verbesey said.

The announcement does not affect municipality-funded libraries or school district libraries.

Nassau Library System director Caroline Ashby said five Nassau libraries are 501(c)(3) but do not offer passport services. Levittown Public Library and Baldwin Public Library are the only two locations that offer passport services in Nassau; neither is a nonprofit.

"It is a shame for those association libraries and 501(c)(3) libraries that are currently offering it," Ashby said. "We're libraries; we think that more access points for taxpayers to federal services is always better."

Library officials said their libraries often have more convenient hours or locations compared with other establishments that offer the services.

Patrick O’Leary, assistant director of the South Country Library in Bellport, said even though the post office is next door, he noticed families preferred to use the library’s passport services because it has spaces for children to play or be occupied. They also offer evening appointments.

Verbesey said the community that would suffer the most is Shelter Island, which has processed 100-125 passports in the last five years. When services cease, Shelter Island residents will have no other nearby place to get a passport and must take a ferry to Greenport or Sag Harbor, which is costly and inconvenient.

"It’s been a really essential service for us to provide for our residents and visitors," Terry Lucas, director of the Shelter Island Public Library, said. "It’s something I really enjoyed providing for our people."