Meeting Room Use

Meeting Room Policy

The primary purpose of the library’s meeting room is to provide the library with a space which will permit programs for both young and old that augments the recreational, leisure, cultural, historical, social, educational and intellectual needs of the residents of its service area.

Library meeting rooms are available during the following specified hours, subject to the stipulations below, to non-profit organizations and representatives, to public meetings of organizations without specific memberships, to units of government, appointed or elected officials in the course of their duties, or to private entities at the Director’s discretion.

“Non-profit groups” include any group which is eligible for tax-exempt status under sections 501(c) (3)-(11) of the Internal Revenue Code.

Reservations

The Director, or his or her designee, must approve all reservations. A representative of the group should complete and sign an application form prior to the meeting date. The signer of the application form, who must be 18 years of age or older, is responsible for the orderly conduct of the group, and in the event of any damage to library property and/or equipment that individual will be financially responsible. A group using a meeting room more than once for the same purpose need only complete the form annually; a copy of the completed form will be kept on file at the library. Non-profit groups need to be able to verify their tax-exempt status upon request. Tutoring sessions will be treated as a private meeting for the purposes of booking the meeting room. Tutors can ask at the front desk for help in finding a quiet location in the library to tutor at no cost.

---

Fee Structure:

Fees when Library is OPEN:

• Non-profit, educational or social groups – NO FEE
• Public meetings in which no specific membership is involved – NO FEE
• Private meetings – $50.00 per hour

Fees when Library is CLOSED:

• Non-Profit organizations: $40.00 per hour.
• Public meeting with no specific membership: $50.00 per hour.
• Private meetings: $100.00 per hour

Any portion of an hour is a whole hour. Payment may be made in advance or at the time of use. The individual named on the application form will be billed accordingly should the event exceed the allotted time.

Cancellations need to be made as soon as possible.

Guidelines

Audio-visual equipment is available for in-house use and must be scheduled in advance with the Computer Services Manager and follow his/her guidelines for use and for the securing of the equipment when finished, if after hours.

Groups are responsible for arranging the chairs, tables, and other equipment to meet their own needs. Following their use of the room, groups must return the room to its original state. Hours scheduled for room use include set-up and clean-up times. Users are asked to allot enough time when scheduling.

Non-alcoholic refreshments may be served, but are restricted to the meeting room and are not permitted in other parts of the library except during library-sponsored events. A group serving refreshments is responsible for providing all serving utensils and for cleanup following the meeting.

Groups using the meeting room shall vacate the room fifteen minutes before closing time of the library, although arrangements may be made to use the meeting room after regular library hours.   All meetings must be concluded and the premises vacated by 9:00 pm.

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 library-associated organizations. Likewise, a library-sponsored program may have a registration charge to defray or reduce the cost of the program to the library. At the discretion of the Director, non-profit groups may engage in fundraising, promotional ventures, gambling or raffles in accordance with state laws, or charge a fee for programs while using the meeting rooms.

Liability

The needs of the library, the Friends of the Library, the Jr. Friends of the Library, and/or the Library Foundation will take precedence. The library reserves the right to cancel or reschedule any meeting. The library does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual preference, age, or physical limitation in making its premises available for use.

The library makes no endorsement, express or implied, of any non-library event or activity held in the meeting room. Publicity of such events must include a disclaimer to this effect.

Smoking and alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

The Board and the library staff do not assume any liability for groups or individuals attending any meeting or program in the library. The library is not responsible for lost or damaged items. Any damage or loss of library property will be the responsibility of the individual named on the application form and/or the group they represent.

All users of the library meeting room must abide by the patron rules of conduct approved by the St. Clairsville Public Library Board of Trustees and county, state, and federal law.

Contact

For more information about scheduling the meeting room, please contact the Program Coordinator at the library. If you have any questions or need more information please feel free to call during library hours at (740) 695-2062.

We hope you enjoy our meeting room facility