In the six weeks since Eglin Air Force Base closed its library, military families have turned to the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative to fill the gap.
Although county officials haven’t tracked the specific number of military users, traffic has increased significantly at the Valparaiso and Niceville libraries, which sit close to the base.
“I had an increase in book circulation last month and in computer usage,” said Valparaiso Community Library Director David Weatherford. “I think a lot more airmen are coming out at lunchtime to use the computers.”
Families and community groups that once relied on Eglin also have discovered the library.
“I’ve seen more mothers bringing their children to story time,” Weatherford said. “And also the Flying Needle knitting club has started meeting here. … That’s what we’re here for; the more the merrier.”
Vicky Stever, coordinator of the Library Cooperative, said she welcomes new patrons but is disappointed that Eglin families no longer have a base library.
“They’ve lost that go-to place where they’re comfortable and they can socialize with their peers and become a part of something,” said Stever, who previously worked at Eglin’s library. “We all want that sense of community, and library service is traditionally welcoming to everyone. … Everybody’s the same at the library.”
The civilian libraries are especially important now that the school year has ended, Stever said.
“It’s really critical because kids need to be reading and using their brains during the summer so they don’t fall behind before they go back to school,” she said. “For military families, summer is also a time when there’s a lot of moving in and out for assignments.”
Stever expects the increased demand will strain local libraries to some extent because they have been making due with dwindling state funds.
“They’ve had to cut staff or decrease hours, and their book budgets aren’t as large,” she said. “We’ll do it. That’s what librarians do. We never say no, but it would be nice to have more funds and more capability to take care of people better.”
Still, more patrons are always a benefit in the long-run, Stever said.
“We really want the military community to understand that there is no fee to use any of the public libraries here,” she said. “Our policy on library cards is if you’re active duty even if you live in Santa Rosa or Walton County, we’ll give you a free library account. … It’s all here just waiting for them.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Kari C. Barlow at 850-315-4438 or kbarlow@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @KariBnwfdn.