Webinar offered to Alliance Library System.

1. Passport Services and Your Library Providing a valuable service and responding to the needs of your community Sonja Plummer-Morgan, MLIS & Lisa Neal Shaw, Reference Librarian Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library, City of Presque Isle http://www.presqueislelibrary.org

2. While we as librarians understand how valuable library services are, adding an additional way to provide a service enhances this value Your library or town does earn revenue People who may not otherwise physically come to your library, may come to get a passport Rural areas may have one place and one place only to get a passport and that organization may be eager to partner Four Reasons Why.…

3. Earned $11,475.00 from passport services alone—that is 410 passport applications Gained new people coming into the library Developed social capital with our governing body (city council) Positioned library as innovative, willing to try new things, and to respond to the needs of our community in a meaningful way Formed new community relationships and affiliations with other nonprofits and businesses How our library has benefited…

4. Predicting demand Providing service means also fielding inquires Responding to questions, answering phones, and walk-in help involved all staff not simply staff trained as passport agents Online social networking inquires increased exponentially Sick time, vacation time, or hours that we aren’t open amounts to interrupted service Applicants sometimes need a high degree of support through the process Some Challenges…

5. We recommend… Provide a comforting, supportive atmosphere for passport applicants Train more than one staff person Prepare all staff to offer guidance and to pass out applications—avoid letting people leave empty handed with the sense that they are getting a “run-around” Try to create hours that do not duplicate other agencies providing services to maximize value to your community

6. Designate your facility as a Non-Postal Acceptance Facility Identify and train qualified staff Designate Acceptance Agents Three Steps to Get Started

7. Some things to keep in mind…*********************************************************************************Passport Acceptance Agents act on behalf of the US Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs. They are NOT necessarily DOS employees and cannot approve or deny passport applications. They can only PROCESS and ACCEPT them, ensuring that they have been completed, that the person applying for the passport appeared and signed before them, and that every reasonable attempt has been made to secure the required accompanying documentation. Passport Application Acceptance Agents are looking for:Completed applicationAccompanying photographs that fall within DOS standards (acceptance facility may provide photography services but doesn't need to)Evidence of identity (e.g. driver's license, military ID)Evidence of citizenship (birth certificate, naturalization papers [originals or certified copies only – photocopies are NOT accepted by the DOS, but these papers WILL be returned to the applicants]) Passport Application Acceptance Agents NEVER confront applicants regarding suspicious behaviors. The acceptance agent's role is to be helpful and courteous. There is a checklist which the acceptance agent may fill out and send in with applications which cause concern.

8. Resources for Passport Information http://travel.state.gov/ http://www.getyouhome.gov/html/eng_map.html http://www.regulations.gov/search/Regs/home.html#documentDetail?R=0900006480365afb (See particularly Sec 51.22) *************************************************** For more information: 1. Lisa Neal Shaw, Reference Librarian lisa.mn.shaw@gmail.com 2. Dianna Leighton, Teen Librarian dmbleighton@gmail.com 3. Sonja Plummer-Morgan pimelibrarian@gmail.com (207) 764-2571 2.Your regional Customer Service Manager **************************************************