Ribbon cutting for Crestview’s library machine set for September 17 at 10 a.m.
Okaloosa County, Florida – The Crestview Library and the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative have formally announced a new way for people to borrow books. The Crestview Welcome + Adventure Center now has a lending machine and a book locker. This makes it easier for those who live in south Crestview or who work there to get library materials without having to drive all the way to the main library in the north end of the city.
The Welcome + Adventure Center, at 5131 South Ferdon Boulevard, will have its ribbon-cutting ceremony on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at 10 a.m. The City of Crestview, the Library Cooperative, the Tourist Development Department for Destin-Fort Walton Beach, and the Crestview Library all worked together to make the project happen.
The machine works a lot like a vending machine, but instead of snacks or drinks, it gives out books for free to anybody who have a valid library card. Cards from Crestview and the libraries in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Mary Esther, Niceville, and Valparaiso are all valid. The process is really easy for those with busy schedules because they can browse, borrow, and return products quickly.
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Paul Mixon, the chairman of the Okaloosa County Board, said that the project was a big step in reaching more people.
“This is a fun and convenient way for us to expand our library services to Okaloosa residents who are not able to make the drive to the north end of Crestview,” said Okaloosa County Board Chairman Paul Mixon. “I commend the work and partnership of the City of Crestview, our Public Library Cooperative and our Tourism Department who were able to make this happen.”
The initiative also got acclaim from Crestview Mayor JB Whitten. He stressed that the new resource not only makes it easier for people to get books, but it also encourages them to go to and interact with the Welcome + Adventure Center, which has become a vital core for the community.
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The idea goes back to the work of former County Commissioner Nathan Boyles, who actively pushed for communities south of Interstate 10 to have better access to libraries. County leaders said that his vision helped create this new service, which will let many families get to places they couldn’t before.
For more information, residents can contact Crestview Library Director Jean McCarthy at [email protected] or 850-682-4432, or Vicky Stever, Coordinator of the Okaloosa County Public Library Cooperative, at [email protected] or 850-609-5102.
