MEETING ROOM POLICY

The Springfield-Greene County Library District provides meeting rooms at its facilities for use by community organizations whose primary membership includes residents of Greene County.

Library District-sponsored programs and events shall receive priority.

The Library reserves the right to relocate a group to a different meeting room.

No admission may be charged.

All meetings must be open to the public.

No soliciting or selling of products or services not directly connected with the Library can take place.

Personal events, such as birthday parties and bridal showers, are not allowed.

Greene County businesses may reserve the rooms for internal employee training, Monday-Friday from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (Opening times will vary for different locations.) Dates may be reserved no more than 60 days in advance.

Other events are to be approved by the Community Relations Department.

Purposes, objectives or views of groups using meeting rooms shall not be advertised in a way to suggest that the Library District endorses them.

Reservations can be made on or after September 1 for any available date January through June of the next year and on or after March 1 for any available date July through December of the same year.

Groups may reserve a meeting room up to two times each month. Saturday bookings are the exception, limited to once a month per group because of high demand.

Groups requesting more than an eight-hour block of time on any one day will need approval from a branch manager.

Conference and study rooms with seating for fewer than six may be reserved no more than 30 days in advance. The number of times these rooms may be scheduled each month will be determined by each branch and will be based on demand.

Meetings scheduled in Library buildings without independent access to meeting rooms and facilities must be completed by closing time.

Meetings scheduled in Library buildings with independent access can be held after the Library is closed with advance approval of the branch manager. An adult, at least 18 years old, must be responsible and in attendance.

Any group using a meeting room is expected to conduct its proceedings in a quiet, orderly manner, not disruptive of normal library functions.

Groups are to set up and take down tables as needed. Trash must be placed in receptacles and the room left clean. The Library will not store items for groups using the meeting rooms. The Library is not responsible for damage to, or loss of, personal items used or left in the meeting rooms. Tobacco use and alcoholic beverages are prohibited on Library premises.

Meals may be catered into all branches, except the Fair Grove Branch. Groups planning a meal event must pay a fee of $20 in advance. The meal event fee is waived for meals catered by food service vendors leasing space through the Library District.

Use of the Library's audiovisual equipment must be arranged at the time the room is booked. Arrangements for training on how to use equipment must be made in advance. Groups will be held responsible for any damage to, or theft of, Library properties.

The Library reserves the right to refuse future bookings to groups that consistently fail to appear on scheduled meeting dates or do not abide by the above policies.

Branch managers reserve the right to vary policies to better serve patrons and the community.