Meeting Room Use Policy – Curtis Memorial Library, Brunswick, Maine: Approved by Curtis Board of Directors 08-19-2010. Updated and approved by Curtis Board of Directors 5-22-202

 

Meeting Room Use Policy

Use of the Library’s Meeting Rooms (Morrell Meeting Room, Seminar Room, Tutoring Rooms and other public meeting spaces) is governed by the following policy:

Use:

Meeting rooms are reserved for (in priority order):

  • · Curtis Library programs
  • · Town of Brunswick and Harpswell programs
  • · Use by the public limited to:
    • Brunswick and Harpswell community/nonprofit organizations
    • Brunswick or Harpswell businesses for noncommercial purposes
    • Nonprofit organizations with a target audience that includes Brunswick or Harpswell

A Brunswick or Harpswell resident must be affiliated with each group making a reservation. That individual is responsible for addressing any questions about programming from the public or the press. Their contact information (email and telephone number) will be shared with individuals who have questions or concerns and it is expected that the local contact will take responsibility for answering those questions.

The Board of Directors and the Library staff reserve the right to reject a room reservation request if the anticipated meeting is likely to be unreasonably disruptive to regular library functions, too large for the applicable room capacity, disorderly, dangerous to persons or property, or in any other way inconsistent with or in contravention of any of the terms and conditions of this policy.

In determining whether such a likelihood exists, the Library Director may take into consideration the contents of the application form, the history of the group’s meeting room use in the Library, the history of the group’s use of meeting facilities elsewhere, and such other information as they may deem appropriate.

An organization may be required to have any or all of the following if deemed necessary by the Library Director before they will be able to use the Library’s meeting rooms:

  • Event marshals who are trained in de-escalation techniques/processes to ensure peaceful meetings (must be provided by the organization reserving the room)
  • And/or police security (must be paid for by the organization holding the event)
  • And/or proof of liability insurance with Curtis Memorial Library named as additionally insured (must be paid for by the organization holding the event)

The Library Director may overrule any decision granting, denying, or modifying permission to use a library facility and reserves the right to cancel a reservation when deemed necessary due to availability of rooms, insufficient staffing, a safety hazard , or a security risk.

Any person making a room reservation must be 18 years of age or older, or if a younger person arranges an event, a responsible adult must agree to sponsor/supervise the event, be listed as co-contact and arrange for an adult to be in attendance at the event.

Permission to use the Library’s meeting spaces does not constitute or imply the Library’s co-sponsoring of an event, or the endorsement of any group’s policies, beliefs, or programs. If a program is not sponsored by the Library, all publicity material for the event should state “this program is not sponsored by Curtis Memorial Library”.

Fees:

A. Morrell Meeting Room

Non-admission Event – General Use Fee: $25/hour for the total amount of time the room is reserved and used. This includes prep and clean-up time. This                               applies to activities or events that do not involve any registration fee or admission, and are not intended for fundraising purposes.

Admission-based or Fundraising Event Fee: $50/hour for the total amount of time the room is reserved and used. This includes prep and clean-up time.                                 This covers activities or events for which an admission or registration fee is charged, or which are intended as fundraisers.

Morrell Meeting Room bookings will be issued a refund if the cancellation occurs at least 72 hours (3 days) before the booking start time. This allows enough time for the Library to offer the room to another organization to use.

Cancellations within the 72-hour window will not be issued refunds.

B. Other Meeting Areas: The library only charges for use of the Morrell Meeting Room. However, donations by users to support the maintenance of other meeting rooms are encouraged.

The Library’s Seminar Rooms may not be used for commercial purposes.

C. Equipment: Fees for use of specific equipment supplied by the library may be set by the Library Director.

Services Provided:

The organization sponsoring an event is responsible for setting up the room before the event, and for clearing the room at the conclusion of the event. The library is not obligated to provide any support for set-up or break-down, irrespective of any fees paid to the library.

If any room requires extensive cleaning after an event (heavy vacuuming, carpet cleaning, trash removal), the organization will be charged an additional $75 cleaning fee and that group may be prohibited from using the meeting space again.

Priority for Scheduling:

Reservations will be made on a first-come-first-served basis, with priority given to the Library, official Brunswick and Harpswell town activities, Brunswick schools and Harpswell elementary schools.

Allowed Frequency of Scheduling:

With the exception of use by the Library, Towns, schools, and/or formal Library partners, no unlimited ongoing schedule of events is permitted. For any one organization, no more than four active reservations are allowed to be in effect at any one time.

Scheduled Hours:

All meeting spaces including the Morrell Meeting Room are accessible only during hours in which the library is open to the public.

  • No meetings can start prior to the Library’s opening hours.
  • All meetings in the Morrell Meeting Room must end 30 minutes prior to the Library closing.
    • As long as the room is empty by 7:45pm, library staff will be responsible for locking/alarming the room as part of their normal closing procedures.
  • If the Morrell Meeting Room is not empty by library closing time, the organization that reserved the room will be charged an additional $75 to pay for staff overtime to stay and lock/alarm the room.
  • The Morrell Meeting Room will not be available on Sunday mornings during the school year since the Library is not open until noon on Sundays.
  • During the summer when the Library is closed on Saturday afternoons and all day Sunday the Morrell Meeting Room will not be available for reservation.

For use of any other library space outside of regular hours (i.e. exceptions approved by the Library Director), a member of the library staff must assume responsibility for that use, and must be in attendance for the duration of the event.

Activities Permitted:

Users must indicate the intended use and the number of people expected to be present. The following uses are specifically permitted; others may be permitted at the discretion of the Library Director:

  • Meetings
  • Author talks, book discussions
  • Lectures, film showings, crafting/art demonstrations
  • Community programs
  • Information fairs, displays
  • Service of beverages, sandwiches, and light snacks

Activities Not Permitted:

The following uses are specifically not permitted:

  • Personal celebrations (birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, funerals or celebrations of life)
  • Service of meals (defined as anything more than beverages, sandwiches, and light snacks)
  • Alcoholic beverages
  • Affixing banners, signs, artwork or other materials to walls, fixtures or other areas of the rooms except with the express approval of Library Director or designee

Variances:

This policy is subject to discretionary variances which may be granted only by the Library Director.