Meeting Room Policy
Use of Community Room and Quiet Study Room:
Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library has a Community Room and a Quiet Study Room. These rooms are intended primarily for Library-related activities such as story times, film programs, book reviews, staff meetings and training, discussion groups, and other events sponsored by the Library and intended to encourage the use of Library materials and services. When these rooms are not needed for Library-related activities, they are made available to non-profit community groups. Additionally, private or public corporations, organizations, or businesses may book various meeting rooms on a fee basis. In all cases, the use of the rooms must be in accordance with the meeting room policy adopted by the Board of Trustees of the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library.
Library meeting rooms are available under the following conditions:
- Free use of meeting facilities at the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library is limited to educational, cultural, civic, social, political, religious, professional, or other non-profit organizations. These meetings must be open to the public.
- Meeting rooms may be used by private or public corporations, organizations, or businesses, for a fee of $50.00 for the Community Room and $25.00 for the Quiet Study Room. This fee may be waived if there is a benefit to the community at large such as a job fair. These meetings are NOT open to the public.
- Parties, weddings, or showers of any kind are prohibited.
- Library meeting rooms are available during regular Library business hours.
- The Library may permit presenters at Library-sponsored programs to sell merchandise related to the subject or activity of their programs. The Library will grant this permission either to reduce the cost of the program to the Library or to raise funds for the Friends group.
- Special room arrangements may be requested, but cannot be guaranteed.
- The Library does not provide equipment for meetings. The Library cannot provide technical support or operators nor can it assume any responsibility for non-Library equipment.
- The Library prohibits:
-the use of any open flame
-the use of deep-fat fryers
-propping open the outside doors or windows
-alcohol, tobacco, or controlled substances.
- All publicity by the organization or business about the meeting must state clearly that the Library is merely the site of the meeting and not its sponsor. Additionally, any use of the Library’s logo is expressly prohibited. The agreement with the Library to make meeting room space available does not imply that the Library either advocates or endorses the viewpoints expressed in the meeting, or by meeting sponsors or speakers. If the organization or business engages speakers to address the meeting, the organization is responsible for all arrangements regarding the speaker.
- All meetings must be conducted in an orderly manner and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth in the Library Code of Conduct and the Community Room Reservation Agreement.
- Meetings or events held in the Community Room must not disturb normal library operations
- The Library will develop rules and regulations for the use of the meeting rooms based on its experience with the use of the space by groups in its community. These rules will determine the frequency of use and number of advance bookings that may be made by an individual group; consequently, rules and regulations may vary between agencies.
- As indicated earlier, Library meeting rooms are made available to outside groups only when they are not needed for Library purposes. On the rare occasion that the Library finds it must use its space unexpectedly for its own purposes, even though a community group has reserved it, the Library will make every effort to provide the group with alternate space or an alternate meeting time in Library space. In reserving a Library meeting room, an organization assumes the risk that the Library may need to preempt the space for its own purposes.
This policy does not restrict the Library, however, from engaging commercial or professional resource people as speakers in Library-developed and sponsored programs nor does it prohibit the Library or its affiliated groups such as the Friends of the Library from using meeting rooms for book sales and other fund-raising events, the purpose of which is to support the needs and mission of the Library.
The Library reserves the right to deny the use of the meeting room to any group that does not meet the above criteria or that violates the policies for the use of the room.
In order to use the room, a responsible individual must fill out a Community Room Reservation Agreement. These forms are considered public records. The name of the group or individual using a meeting room may be released if there is a public records request. However, contact information is considered confidential. Therefore, if an individual or organization wants their contact information released upon request, it must be marked on the agreement.
The Library Board of Trustees authorizes the Library staff to implement this policy, but it reserves the right to review any or all agreements for the use of the Community Room and shall have final authority to grant or refuse permission for use of the Community Room if the implementation of this policy is questioned. The Board of Library Trustees reserves the right to amend this policy at any time.
The signed agreement form assigns responsibility for loss or damages to the room or other library property to the signatory of the application. The signature also denotes that the group and designated responsible individual agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Hurt/Battelle Memorial Library Board of Trustees and members, employees, and agents from any claims and liability arising out of or related to the use of the facilities.
Board Approved 8/8/2023