Military families seem to have turned to the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative in the six weeks since Eglin Air Force Base closed its library.
Traffic has increased significantly at the Valparaiso and Niceville libraries, which sit close to the base.
Vicky Stever, the cooperative’s coordinator, said she welcomes new patrons but is disappointed that Eglin families now lack a base library.
She expects the increased demand will strain local libraries to some extent because they have been making do with dwindling state funds.
Still, more patrons benefit in the end, Stever said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: City libraries see more business after Eglin library closes