Meeting Room Use Policy & Sign Up Form

(Please Keep Top Portion for Your Records & Submit the Agreement at the Bottom to the Library)

Click Here for Printable Version of the Form

The Board of Trustees recognizes article 6 of the Library Bill of Rights that states, "Meeting rooms should be made available to the public served by the given library on an equitable basis, regardless of beliefs, affiliations of individuals, or groups requesting their use.” To that end, the Board of Trustees encourages the use of the Karen Littlefield meeting room for any local organization engaged in educational, non-profit, activities which are free and open to the public. No fee shall be charged for meeting room use but donations to the library are always welcomed. The meeting room also serves as the children’s room and must be made available for all children’s programs and for drop-in time for parents using the facility. All meetings must start and end on time in order for this dual purpose to be served.

The following rules shall apply to use of the meeting room:

1. Library functions shall have precedence over all other meetings. Every effort will be made to accommodate groups with regularly scheduled meetings but groups should research alternate meeting space in the event the library needs to use the facility.

2. Booking shall b e on a first, first served basis. The space may be used for one-time events, monthly meetings and classes, or weekly events at the discretion of the Library Director who is responsible for maintaining the room schedule. Reservations are mandatory for use. Meetings may not interrupt the normal functioning of the library. The library reserve s the right to revoke meeting room privileges should groups fail to follow all rules contained within this document, or, the Director and Trustees determine that said meeting causes undue security threats to the facility or staff. Appeal of this decision should be made in writing to the Library Board of Trustees.

3. The library reserves the right to cancel any meetings due to inclement weather, power outage, or other dangerous situations. The Director will notify the contact person listed on the agreement form. The user is responsible for notifying the members of such a closure.

4. Groups MUST call in advance if they will not be using the room for a scheduled event. This will allow the library to make the room available to another organization if one is on a wait list.

5. Use of the room does not constitute endorsement of the group by the library and no announcements or advertisements should imply such. The library may not be used as a mailing address or headquarters address for any organization nor will the library staff take phone calls for people attending meetings.

6. The meeting room is only available during regular open hours. No after hours meetings will be scheduled due to lack of staffing to stay and secure the building.

7. No commercial organizations or private social functions will be booked for this room. No admission fees may be charged. No goods or services may be sold or solicited.

8. Library facilities may not be used for any religious worship, exercise or instruction, or the support of any religious establishment.

9. All programs serving children under age 18 must have at least one adult chaperone in the room at all times.

10. All organizations will meet posted fire codes; the current room holds 30 people.

11. Programs may not discriminate according to gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, race, or handicapped status.

12. No smoking or alcoholic beverages are allowed and no nails, tacks, or other items may be used on walls, doors, or windows. No lit flames are allowed including candles and sterno fuel.

13. The library is not responsible for lost or stolen items.

14. All setup (including getting and returning the chair closet key and pulling chairs out of the closet and putting them away) is the responsibility of the user. All cleanup of the kitchenette, if used, is also the responsibility of the user. All food and supplies must be supplied by the group and all food must be kept in the meeting room. All trash must be picked up and the floor swept by the user if crumbs, dirt, or other debris is left behind by the attendees. Food and paper goods in the kitchenette are for library sponsored programs only and may not be used by other users.

15. No room in the refrigerator is supplied due to space issues. The coffee maker and pot may be used with group supplied cups, coffee, tea, etc. The microwave may also be used.

16. Tutors may not reserve this room due to its use as a drop-in area for families using the library; quiet study carrels are located to the rear of the library.

17. The TV/VCR combo may be used to view movies (G, PG, or PG-13) in the meeting room area. A cardholder must check out the film, taking responsibility for it until it is returned in the indoor drop box. It is the responsibility of the patron to remove the movie from the unit and get it safely back to the drop box. If the item is left in the VCR combo or in the meeting room, a $1.00 fine will be assessed to their card. If a patron wishes to view a rated R movie, the unit will be moved to a private location and headphones will be provided. If a group of adults (or those under 17 with adult supervision) wish to view a rated movie as a group, the room will be closed off for that group during the duration of the film.

18. No program may be televised or broadcast from the library meeting room without the express permission of the Board of Trustees.

19. The library can provide A/V equipment upon request. The library staff can set up a screen, LCD Projector, and/or a laptop for use by the group IF the library is notified at least one week in advance of the required items. The user is responsible for making sure any USB devices or disks will be compatible with the LCD Projector provided and that the person giving the talk understands how to access their own files. If there is any question about compatibility, the user must request a trial run BEFORE the room use. It is not staff’s responsibility to troubleshoot computer issues the night of the meeting and they may not make changes to any computer brought in by the group due to liability issues. The LCD Projector owned by the library is PC compatible; MAC users may have to make alternate arrangements.

20. The user will be held responsible for any damage or loss caused by their use of the room, its contents, or the equipment borrowed. Groups may not store items at the library.

21. Repeated cancellations or no-shows may result in room reservation revocation so others may use the area.

22. The meeting room must be cleaned and all participants ready to leave at closing time. If the meeting is schedule during day time hours, the room must be cleaned up and available for the public no more than 15 minutes after the stated end-time of the meeting.

23. All users must sign the attached form agreeing to these rules; the form must be signed by a responsible contact person at least one –week prior to the meeting.

24. A MIMIMUM of 5 or more regular attendees is needed to reserve the meeting room. If your group is smaller than that, the two large tables which seat 8-10 at the rear of the library may be used by the group instead. If the group is below 5 people, but requires space for crafting supplies, etc., a dispensation may be given if no other larger group needs the room.

Meeting Room User Agreement

Please Print Clearly

Organization: _______________________________________________________________

This group is a: (Check One)

Non-Profit Group (501 C-3) ______ Barrington Government Entity _____

Non-business related club or group comprised mostly of Barrington residents______

Address: ___________________________________________________________________

Contact Name (Must be 18 or over): ____________________________________________

Phone Number: _____________________

E-Mail Address: _______________________________________________________________

Expected Number of Attendees: ________________________

Expected Age of attendees: _____ Adults ______Teens _____Children

Number of Adult Chaperones, if teens or children: ________________

Nature of the Meeting: ______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Check One: One Time Meeting ________ Weekly Meeting _______ Monthly Meeting _____

Dates and Times Requested: (Room is ONLY available during open library Hours)

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

______ I agree to abide by all rules outlined in the meeting room use policy

_____ I/we will not hold the library liable for any injuries, damages, or losses which may occur during our use of the library facility.

______ I understand that as the person signing this contract, I am taking financial responsibility for any damages which may occur during meeting room use and that I am the primary contact for library closures.

______I understand that failure to follow the meeting room use policy may result in loss of privileges.

Signature: ________________________________________________________________________________

Date: _______________________________________________

Staff Area:

Application Taken In By: ______________________________________________________________________

Date: _______________ Approved: ______ Not Approved: _____________

Reason: _______________________________________________________________________________