BESSEMER PUBLIC LIBRARY
U.S. PASSPORT APPLICATION ACCEPTANCE FACILITY HOURS

To submit a passport application you will need to make an appointment. CALL - 205.428.7882
Monday – Friday – 2:00 – 4:00 PM (Appointment Only) 

YOU WILL NEED THE FOLLOWING:
DS-11 FORM
ORIGINAL BIRTH CERTIFICATE
DRIVER’S LICENSE
PASSPORT PHOTO
PAYMENT FOR U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE (CHECK OR MONEY ORDER)
PAYMENT FOR LIBRARY (CREDIT, DEBIT, OR CASH ONLY)
PAYMENT FOR POSTAGE (CASH ONLY)

HOW TO APPLY
Please note, that, there are special requirements for minors under age 16, minors 16 and 17, and no fee passports when submitting Form DS-11.

STEP 1: Complete and Print Form and Call for an Appointment
Enter the information online and print FORM DS-11 or print a blank DS-11 form and complete by hand. Note: Do not sign DS-11 form until the passport agent instructs you to do so.

STEP 2: Submit Additional Documents (For applicants 17 years old or younger, you must provide a birth certificate in addition to one of the following): 
1. Proof of U.S. Citizenship (one of the following)
U.S. birth certificate
Previous U.S. Passport
Naturalization Certificate
Citizen Certificate
Certificate of a U.S. Birth Abroad
2. Proof of identity (originals only – no copies)
3. Photograph* (must bring own passport photo) - see https://travel.state.gov/content/travel.html for further information.

STEP 3: Pay the fees
THREE payments are required. One made payable to the US Department of State (passport application fee), one payable to Bessemer Public Library (credit, debit or cash), and one for postage (cash only)
Links to More Passport Information Search for nearest passport acceptance office Renew your passport by mail

PLEASE NOTE: Bessemer Public Library is a passport acceptance agent for the U.S. Department of State. If you have any questions about the passport application you already submitted, contact, U.S. Department of State at https://travel.state.gov.

BESSEMER PUBLIC LIBRARY RECEIVES GRANT
FOR WOMEN’S SUFFRAGE DISCUSSION PROJECT
Let’s Talk About It: Women’s Suffrage programming will begin in April 2022 

[BESSEMER] — The Bessemer Public Library is one of 25 libraries nationwide and the only library in the state of Alabama selected to participate in Let’s Talk About It (LTAI): Women’s Suffrage, a grant designed to spark conversations about American history and culture through an examination of the women’s suffrage movement.  

The competitive award comes with a $1,000 stipend to support programming costs and ten copies of five books covering the women’s suffrage theme. According to ALA, more than 100 libraries applied for the opportunity.  

For more information on program participation, visit BessemerLibrary.com, the Bessemer Public Library’s Facebook page, or call the Bessemer Public Library’s Adult Services Department at (205) 428-7882.  

As part of the grant, the Bessemer Public Library will receive the following books: 

The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss 
Women Making History: The 19th Amendment Book, essays compiled by the National Park Service 
Vanguard: How Black Women Broke Barriers, Won the Vote, and Insisted on Equality for All by Martha S. Jones 
Ida B. the Queen: The Extraordinary Life and Legacy of Ida B. Wells by Michelle Duster 

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2022, Let’s Talk About It is a reading and discussion program that involves groups of people reading a series of books selected by national project scholars and discussing them in the context of an overarching theme. The format for a Let’s Talk About It program involves a ten-week series. Every two weeks, a discussion group meets with a local humanities scholar to discuss one of the five books in the theme.   

LTAI: Women’s Suffrage is supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).
To explore resources from past LTAI themes, visit the project website.