Meeting Room Policy
I. Community Use of Library Meeting Room
Realizing the need of the community for a public meeting place, the Russell County Public Library Board of Trustees wishes to make the library program rooms available for community groups. The Board of Trustees has set these guidelines for the use of the Meeting Rooms and for complying with state and local rules and regulations.
A. Library-sponsored activities shall receive first priority, after which other applications are considered on a first-come, first-served basis.
B. Gatherings must be conducted in such a way as to not disturb library operations.
C. Organizations seeking to use meeting facilities must agree in writing to observe the policy and regulations. Failure to abide by policy and regulations will result in cancellation or refusal of reservations.
D. Authorization for the use of the Meeting Room shall not be considered as endorsement of, or approval of, the activity, group, or organization, nor the purposes they represent.
E. Advertisements for meetings or events held in the library may not be displayed in such a manner as to suggest library sponsorship.
II. Conditions governing the Use of Library Meeting Room by Any Group.
The organization, group, or individual who applies for the use of the Meeting Room agrees to abide by posted regulations which are as follows:
A. The Meeting Room shall not be used for purposes that are counter-productive to the goals and objectives of the public library.
B. After hours, the specific areas of the building available include the Meeting Room and public restrooms. Access to other areas of the library is not permitted. The organization or individual sponsoring an activity will be responsible seeing that all rules and regulations are abided by and shall be responsible for any damage to library property.
C. The organization or individual sponsoring the activity shall provide sufficient adult and/or special supervision to maintain order and safety for all participants, including at least one adult for every 10 minors.
D. Library staff must have free access to the Meeting Room at all times. The Library retains the right to monitor all meetings conducted on premises to ensure compliance with the Meeting Room Policy.
F. Meetings held during regular hours of library service must be open to the general public. The doors of the Meeting Room may be closed, but a sign “Meeting in Progress – Open to the Public” will be placed on the Meeting Room doors.
G. The Meeting Room shall not be used for commercial or personal financial gain.
H. The Meeting Room shall not be used for any money-raising activity, unless the proceeds are designated for charitable, educational, civic, political, or community welfare purposes.
I. No admission may be charged for meetings or events held in the Meeting Room.
J. The Meeting Room shall not be used for dances.
K. Under no circumstances shall any member of the group tamper with any of the equipment in the Meeting Room. Library staff should be asked to help.
L. Under supervision by library staff, furniture or equipment may be moved to accommodate the needs of the group, but should be returned to their former position by the group after their meeting is over. Groups are responsible for leaving the room in good order.
M. Arrangement for the use of such equipment as projectors, pianos, and public address systems must be made with library staff at the time the reservation is made.
N. Alcoholic beverages, illegal drugs, and any other illegal substances shall not be allowed in the library building, or on library property.
O. In compliance with library policy, use of tobacco products is prohibited in the library, including the Meeting Room. It is the responsibility of the person applying for the use of the facility to see that this policy is enforced.
P. Based on recommendations by building and fire protection officials, occupancy is limited:
Honaker Program Room: 56 standing | 46 seated | 22 tables
Lebanon Program Room: 320 standing | 264 seated | 123 tables
III. General Procedures for Use of Meeting Room by Non-Library Related Organizations.
A. An “Application for Use of the RCPL Meeting Room” must be filed with the library director or branch manager at least four days before the activity is to take place. When signing the application, a group’s representative agrees to abide by all rules and regulations governing use of the room, including the State Fire Prevention Code, and to accept responsibility for property damage to the Meeting Room and its contents resulting from the group’s activities
B. Applications may be made no more than one year in advance. The library reserves the right to cancel a reservation within a reasonable time frame, such as 4 weeks before a meeting scheduled every month.
C. The library charges a cleaning deposit of $25 if food is present. This fee may be refunded at the discretion of the library director.
D. For meetings held after hours of library service, there is a flat fee PLUS a charge per hour for library staff presence; the fees are due to be paid to the Russell County Public Library at the time of the application.
Honaker Community Library Room: $ 20 flat fee plus $10/ hour
Lebanon Library Room: $ 40 flat fee plus $10/hour
IV. The Use of Library Meeting Room by Library-Related Organizations.
A. Library-related organizations do not need to submit a written application, but an agreement to accept responsibility for property damages to the Meeting Room and its contents resulting from the group’s activities and to abide by all rules and regulations regarding room use must be signed by the group’s representative.
B. The library director must approve all requests by library-related organizations.