With their birth certificates and existing passports in hand, Sofia, Amelia and Andrew Rehrig waited patiently in line at the Howard County Library System's East Columbia branch.
The Chevy Chase siblings, ages 13, 12 and 10 respectively, arrived with their parents, Connie DiJohnson and Scott Rehrig, just before 10 a.m., along with more than 20 others to apply for new passports.
"Their passports expire in May, but we're traveling in April," DiJohnson said. "So, I started calling the post offices in early January to renew."
Some countries require valid passports for three to six months after the date of entry, and DiJohnson didn't want to take any chances.
Yet every time she called a Montgomery County post office about renewal, staff members told her weekend passport appointments were booked through March. Because the U.S. State Department requires both parents to be present when children under 16 years old apply for passports, weekday appointments just wouldn't work, DiJohnson said.
When she broadened her search to include Howard County, she discovered the East Columbia branch offered passport services, was open on Saturdays and didn't require appointments.
"This is a lifesaver," DiJohnson.
In 2009, the East Columbia branch became the first library in the state to accept passport applications on behalf of the U.S. State Department.
"We became a passport acceptance facility because we saw an opportunity to provide customers a convenient avenue to apply for passports that also complemented our curriculum," said Christie Lassen, spokeswoman for the Howard County Library System.
Last year, East Columbia branch staff members processed more than 10,000 passport applications for everyone from newborns and adult first-timers to people renewing for the third or even fourth time.
In late 2014, based on the branch's success, the system expanded the service to its Glenwood branch. And last month, Baltimore County Public Library's Arbutus branch launched its service.
At the East Columbia branch, Saturdays are the busiest days, said Suki Lee, branch manager. Staff members have processed up to 130 applications a day on Saturdays between January and May, the service's busy season, she said.
"Spring break is coming up, and people are getting ready for [summer] travel," Lee said.
Applicants' destinations range from the Caribbean to countries like Egypt and India.
"We have a lot of diversity here," Lee said. "A big part of our customer base is parents taking their newborns back to see their families."
Many parents also use the service to help their child under age 18 claim U.S. citizenship, Lee said. If a parent is a naturalized citizen, and the child was under age 18 and a permanent resident when the parent was naturalized, the parent can submit his or her naturalization certificate, the child's foreign birth certificate translated into English and the child's permanent resident card to secure the child's passport.
The last Saturday in January, between two and three East Columbia staff members managed the passport "triage" area — the first stop in the application process at the library's main information desk.
"We're traveling in April, should we do expedited?" DiJohnson asked as she stepped up to the desk.
"No, you're good for mid-March, even with standard," said Rachel East, a U.S. State Department-trained passport agent and instructor at the branch.
DiJohnson and her daughters are traveling to London, where Amelia will play soccer for the Maryland Olympic Development Program. While DiJohnson's son is not traveling with them, she wanted to renew all of her children's passports at the same time, she said.
To keep things moving in triage, East checked each of the children's documents, as well as DiJohnson and Rehrig's identification, and accepted their payment. Then, she handed them a pager.
Applicants can have up to a two-hour wait. Pagers enable them to browse travel materials, conduct research or even attend a children's class while they wait, Lassen said.
For Taylor and Bi Smith of Arlington, Va., the pager gave them freedom to move around with their daughters, Sophia, 3, and Ava, 1. They even attended the "All Together Now" class, where the girls sang, danced and drew pictures.
"The class just finished when we were buzzed," Bi Smith said, as Ava proudly held her drawing from class.
"It was well-organized," added Taylor Smith.
More travelers
Jennifer Weaver, owner of Monica Baker Travel in Savage, said she is seeing more international travelers this year than last year.
"I'm extremely busy right now," she said. "It could be the weather. Everyone wants to get out."
Weaver, who just renewed her daughter's passport at the East Columbia branch in January, said the library service is convenient for county residents. She arrived on a Wednesday night around 6 p.m. and was done within 30 minutes.
"It was quick and easy," she said.
Another benefit to getting passports at the library: Being able to relax in chairs with family members instead of standing in line while waiting, said Rick Harrison of Columbia.
On Saturday, Rick and Adriana Harrison's children Angel, 15, and Antonio, 13, were both getting passports for the first time. Angel is preparing for an upcoming 22-day trip to Europe, while Antonio hopes to travel overseas when he turns 16.
"It was busier than we thought," Rick Harrison said. "We've been here about an hour waiting. It's definitely more comfortable. People were very pleasant. And you know when you're going to a library, it's going to be quiet."
Once applicants are paged, library staff members escort them to the back of the library. There, two more staff members, including Lee, take their photos and process their applications.
In addition to passport fees, applicants pay $25 to the Howard County Library System for each application submitted and $15 for each photo taken. .
While the money helps the system provide classes and materials, it's the exposure the library receives that makes Lee enjoy coming to work every Saturday, she said.
"The best thing about this is just bringing people through the door," Lee said. "They leave here with books and piles of materials. … Talk about excitement for a library that we can provide this service."
The East Columbia and Glenwood branches of the Howard County Library System provide passport services on a first-come, first-served basis, Monday through Thursday from 3 to 7 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For more information, go to hclibrary.org or call East Columbia at 410-313-7700 and Glenwood at 410-313-5577.