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• Meeting Room Policy
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BASIC POLICY

The St. Charles Parish Library meeting rooms are primarily designed for Library programs and use, therefore, programs and activities produced and sponsored by the Library are given first priority for use of all meeting rooms.

When not needed for library purposes, the meeting rooms are available on a first come, first serve basis for use by individuals and organizations for educational, cultural, and informational purposes.

GUIDELINES

The rooms may not be scheduled for an unlimited number of recurring meetings, but they may be scheduled for a limited number of meetings. It is the intent to prohibit any one group or organization from dominating the use of the meeting rooms. Generally, no more than two meetings per month will be scheduled for any group. No group may transfer a room reservation to another group.

No meeting can be scheduled that will begin after regular library hours, which are:

West and East 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Mon-Thurs, 9:00a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Fri-Sat

Hahnville and Norco 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Mon-Fri

St. Rose 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Mon, 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Tues-Thurs, 9:00a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Fri-Sat

The rooms cannot be used for fundraisers or for shows to promote commercial purposes, social affairs, private parties, religious services, political meetings, or money making affairs, or for programs by commercial firms. Programs involving the sale, advertisement, or promotion of commercial products or services or solicitations for the future sale of products are prohibited. No fees may be charged to program attendees.

A person must be 18 years of age or older to book a room. If teenagers or children are to be present, an adult must be responsible, in charge of, and present during the entire meeting. Groups requesting the use of a meeting room must designate an authorized contact for the group who will insure that all policies are followed.

If an emergency requires closing the library, every effort will be made to notify the contact person for the group or an officer of the organization. When the library reopens, reservations will be honored as scheduled. If a group cancels the use of a meeting room, the contact person must notify the library 24 hours in advance of the scheduled meeting. If two cancellations occur without library notification, the organization will have meeting room privileges revoked for six months.

Library staff has a right to enter and remain in the meeting room/conference rooms at any time during a scheduled meeting. Library staff has the authority to terminate any meeting which is disruptive of the quiet and orderly functions of the library. Failure to observe meeting room policies may result in denial of meeting room privileges

Light refreshments may be served, but the organization or person booking the room will have to provide their own serving dishes and utensils.

The organization or person using a meeting room must leave it in the same physical condition in which it was found. If there is spillage of refreshments, the persons using the room are responsible for cleaning it up. Groups are responsible for arranging the room for their meeting. The applicant is financially responsible for damages to facilities, equipment or contents. The organization must remove any clutter caused by its activities. Materials are not to be attached to walls, windows, doors, or furnishings. Trash containers and /or trash bags will be available.

Alcoholic beverages of any kind, possession and/or use of controlled substances, and gambling in any form are prohibited throughout the library and on library property. In accordance with parish ordinance numbers 88-9-15, 88-1-11 and 07-2-5, no smoking is allowed in library facilities or within 50 feet of any exterior door.

Standard fire code regulations restrict the occupancy capacity of rooms and prohibits the use of any open flame, burning candles, or other flammable, combustible or hazardous materials in the library.

Any person or group using Library meeting rooms shall hold St. Charles Parish, its agents, servants and/or employees harmless from any damages which may arise out of any claims by any person, company or governmental entity against St. Charles Parish resulting from his/her/its participation in any meeting and/or gathering held at any St. Charles Parish Library and does agree to fully indemnify St. Charles Parish from any damages, costs, and/or fees that may arise from those claims; any person or group using Library meeting rooms further agrees to defend any and all claims made as a result of the participation of any person(s) in such meeting or gathering.

No activity in connection with a meeting should interfere with other patron's use of the library. If any group or individual violates any of these policies, the St. Charles Parish Library Director retains the right to cancel subsequent use of meeting rooms by the group.

Any publicity materials, invitations, flyers and press releases promoting events or meetings held at the library may not list the St. Charles Parish Library as a co-sponsor unless the Library Director has officially designated the event as co-sponsored. The library phone numbers may not be listed as a contact for meetings/events.

Authorized use of a St. Charles Parish Library meeting room does not constitute endorsement or sponsorship of the organization or the views expressed by the group as a whole or by individual participants in the meetings. Meetings held will not be allowed or disallowed solely on the basis of race, creed, or national origin provided that the meeting falls into the category of approved type of organizations.

PROCEDURE

Groups using the meeting room must fill out a new application form every six months and may only set up meetings for six months at a time (starting Dec. 1 for Jan-June period and June 1 for July-Dec period). To reserve a room, contact the circulation supervisor at the appropriate branch during normal library hours, Monday through Friday. It is advisable to make arrangements well in advance of the desired meeting date. A meeting room contract will have to be completed and signed. On the meeting date, someone responsible for the meeting sh ould arrive at the library early and ask a staff member at the circulation desk to open the room. If a meeting scheduled to be held at West, East or St. Rose is expected to run beyond normal library hours, special arrangements should be made with the circulation supervisor. Meetings cannot run beyond normal library hours at Hahnville or Norco.