Activity Room

Reserving a Library Activity Room:

Library activity rooms are available as meeting spaces without cost for public meetings, programs of general public interest or non-profit private meetings when not being used for library programs or activities. The public may reserve meeting rooms up to 60 days in advance.

• Customers may request the activity rooms online for no more than three times within a 60 day period.
• Rooms will be held for thirty minutes past the reservation time.
• Acceptance of a reservation is conditional upon appropriate use (see below).
• All reservations are subject to approval by the location’s manager. At the discretion of the location’s manager, the manager may deny a reservation or end the usage of the room for violation of these procedures.
• The location’s manager, in his or her discretion, may set a limit on the number of times in a month a person or organization may reserve the activity room, based on the location’s and community’s needs.
• Activity rooms must be used during the normal operating hours of the library.
• Early openings may be arranged at the discretion of the location’s manager based on available staff.
• Reservations are made electronically; staff will assist customers as needed.

  Use of library activity rooms:

• Activity rooms are not available for conducting programming or activities that are purely commercial, religious, social, or personal in nature. Prohibited usage of the room include, but are not limited to, any type of worship or church service, prayer meetings or religious instruction, weddings, birthday or retirement parties, bridal or baby showers, or family reunions.
• Also prohibited is the conducting of office or work-related activities of for-profit agencies or businesses (unless permission has been given by the library administration.
• Graduations or special organizational events are permitted, as long as such events include some type of formal presentation or program.
• The number in attendance must remain in adherence to space availability and safety regulations.
• Private meetings by nonprofit groups, nonprofit member-only organizations or governmental agencies are permitted for conducting organizational meetings, seminars, study groups, planning sessions, training programs, and other related activities. It is the responsibility of the group to monitor the meeting room door in the event non-members seek entry.
• Activity room use must not disrupt normal library operations or the use of the library by others. Persons using the activity rooms are subject to all library rules and regulations.Non-profit groups and organizations may collect membership dues. Merchandise available from a planned speaker – such as a book or an audiotape – may be sold, however 20% of the sales must be donated to the Friends of the Library.
• Library staff cannot take telephone messages for any person using an activity room. Library staff cannot page a person using an activity room. Library telephones are intended for library business only.

   

  Behavior in library meeting spaces:

• No smoking is allowed on any Cumberland County property.
• No alcoholic beverages may be served in the library.
• No group or member of any group may affix or attach signs, banners or fliers to any wall, ceiling or any part of library property.
• Except for on-duty law enforcement officers and library security officers, no weapons of any kind are allowed in the library.
• No admission fees may be charged for programs and activities held in meeting rooms without permission by the Director.
• Individuals or groups whose activities would tend to incite or produce imminent lawless action, or are obscene, or are obviously promoting false and misleading information, or are defamatory will not be allowed to use the library’s meeting rooms.
• Drug testing is not permitted in any of the meeting spaces.

Using the Activity Room Equipment and Care of:

Groups who wish to use library-owned audiovisual equipment in meeting rooms are responsible for damage to the equipment. Groups must designate a group member to be responsible for learning how to operate the equipment prior to the meeting date.

It is the responsibility of the person reserving the meeting room to ensure the room is clean and orderly before leaving. The library is not responsible for personal belongings left in the meeting room by users.

Some library facilities have kitchen facilities available for use. Groups reserving the activity rooms may bring food and drinks into any library activity room. Groups providing food and drink must ensure that all refuse is picked up and all surfaces are wiped down before vacating the room. If additional trash containers are needed, request from staff. No chafing dishes or open flames may be used in the library activity room.

Library Statement:

The library does not discriminate based on race, creed, sex, age, national origin or disability. Permission to use library meeting space (both Conference Rooms and Activity Rooms) is not an endorsement by library staff or the library Board of Trustees of the user or user’s beliefs.

The library reserves the right of reasonable inspection of meeting space by library staff, County Engineer, County Building Inspectors and the Fire Marshall.

The Library Director reserves the right to deny further use of any meeting space to any individual or group who violates the library policies rules or procedures.

In accordance with the library’s policy on activity rooms, and due to the need to balance the high demand for activity room space across multiple, competing community groups, the library is not able to accommodate requests by religious groups to use activity rooms for worship or church services.