HAMLIN, WAYNE CO. (WOLF) — With new Real ID requirements now fully enforced, many summer vacationers have turned to passports for their travel identification. Local passport centers like the one at the Hamlin Community Library have faced their busiest year yet, and the passport rush hasn’t ended yet.

A gateway to the world is what many call it, but trained professionals at the Hamlin Community Library, like assistant director Kylie Merring, call it a “quick and easy process.”

“We try to make it as easy as possible and stress-free, we don’t want you overwhelmed or concerned. If something is wrong, we’ll address it, get you set and on your way,” she said.

Applying for a passport starts with a phone call or a visit to the library during operating hours. Merring tells me their appointment system eliminates long wait times that may occur elsewhere.

“I’ve had so many come in and say the Real ID is a nightmare, especially for people with a name change. When you come in for a passport, as long as we have the simple documentation they need, they get it back in four to six weeks,” said Merring.

The Federal Real ID requirement went into effect on May 7th of 2025, resulting in the library experiencing its busiest year ever processing passport applications, according to Library Director Lynn Scramuzza.

“I usually tell people for fiscal purposes, the passport book is your best product because it will take you from home to wherever you want to go in the world,” said Scramuzza.

And this service to the public is a crucial part of the library’s daily operations.

“If we don’t have passports, we would only have about 50% of the money we need to operate in a year. The passports take us up another third and the remainder is donations,” said Scramuzza, “that money is what helps us keep our doors open and serve the public in general.”

The Hamlin Community Library is one of many local passport centers and can process passports for anyone with proper documentation, including those outside of the county and the state.