Meeting Room/Community Room Policy

Pennsauken Free Public Library's Rendle S. Willgoos Community Room Policies

The library's mission is to provide optimum service to the Pennsauken community. The purpose of the library's meeting room is to support library programs and activities and to provide a meeting room to accommodate the community's need for a place to assemble.

The library cannot and does not endorse or affirm the philosophy, political, religious or other ideology of any group or organization utilizing the room. As such, the library excludes the use of its facilities for political rallies, religious services or other activities as directed by the Director and/or the Library Board of Trustees.

Use of the room must meet these qualifications:

1. The Pennsauken Free Public Library Community room is available for use by the community for any public function of an educational, cultural or civic nature.
a) The library does not charge any fees for use of this room.
b) Anyone using the room shall be prohibited from charging any fee for admission, from soliciting donations or from selling any items for profit or charity at any activity in the room.
c) The Friends of the Pennsauken Free Public Library is the only group that may use the room for an activity to raise funds that will directly benefit the library.
d) The meeting room is for use of non-profit groups (the word "group" includes organizations and associations). Profit-making organizations are not eligible to use the meeting room.
e) It is understood that all meetings held in this room will be open to the public.

2. The Pennsauken Free Public Library shall not attempt to judge the objectives of any group or program not sponsored by the library.
a) The Director or his/her designee will consider requests to use the meeting room providing that the purpose to use the room is educational, cultural or civic in nature.
b) Use of the meeting room may be made by:

i) any library-related group
ii) any Pennsauken Township department for the benefit of Township Residents.
iii) any group formally organized within the Township for the benefit of Pennsauken residents, specifically excluding those the nature of whose activities makes the room unsuitable for their purposes.

i) library-sponsored programs;
ii) library-related groups;
iii) educational programs;
iv) cultural/civic programs.

3. A Pennsauken resident with an up-to-date library card, who is an officer of the group, must make a request for the use of the room on a Community Room Application form. The resident-applicant must be present at all of the approved functions of the group. If unable to attend, the library must be notified.
a) Applications will be approved or denied by the Director or by his/her designee.
b) Applications for use shall be made at least seven (7) working days prior to the date of the proposed meeting.
c) Groups who plan to use the room on a monthly basis may schedule use of the room for one year, but will only be guaranteed use of the room on a month-to-month basis.
d) Due to the number of groups requesting use of the Community Room, we cannot guarantee use of the room for regular weekly or bi-weekly meetings.
e) A copy of the approved application form may be picked up within seventy-two (72) hours of receipt of the request.
f) Any group denied use of the room may present a request to the Board of Trustees at their next regularly scheduled meeting.
g) The Director will refer questionable applications to the Trustees for interpretation or exception as the occasion arises.

4. Cancellation
a) The library reserves the right to cancel a meeting with two (2) weeks' advance notice for the purpose of a library program.
b) Cancellation by the group must be made twenty-four (24) hours prior to the scheduled event by notifying the Director or his/her designee in order to open the room for use by another group.
c) The Director or his/her designee reserves the right to deny the meeting room use to groups that fail to notify the library of cancellations or groups that frequently cancel meetings.

5. Refreshments may be served with advance permission of the Director.
a) No smoking or alcoholic beverages are permitted.
b) Kitchen use must be pre-approved on the application.

i) User must supply all paper goods, utensils and clean-up supplies.
ii) A staff member will inspect the kitchen before and after use.

6. Any group using the meeting room shall be held liable for damages to library property which result from use of these facilities.
a) Repairs will be completed by the library's normal contractors.
b) The group shall reimburse the library for such repairs.
c) If repair costs are not paid by the group, the resident-applicant's library account will be billed for such costs.

7. At least one (1) adult (21 or over) must be present at all times for all activities in the meeting room and/or in the library for every ten (10) children.

8. The library is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.

9. Discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, sexual orientation, age or disability in the provision of service is unlawful and not allowed.

10. Any group using the meeting room will be responsible for setting up the rooms according to its own needs. Library staff will bear no responsibility.
a) The group using the room must restore the furniture and the room to the order in which it was found. The library will provide a limited number of tables and chairs, as are available in the room.
b) The library can provide audio-visual equipment. A deposit fee may be required. See checklist on application.

11. Scotch tape, tacks or nails are not to be placed on doors, walls, or furniture in the room.

12. Maximum capacity of the meeting room is ninety-nine (99) persons (standing and seated) or eighty (80) persons with tables and chairs per the Pennsauken Fire Marshal.

13. In the event that two (2) groups need the room at the same time, the folding curtain will separate the room at the Director's or his/her designee's discretion.

14. Printed materials may not be distributed outside the meeting without the Director's permission. Requests for permission to display exhibits or literature must be made to the Director in advance (see Application Form for displays.)

15. The room must be vacated and straightened up at least fifteen (15) minutes before library closing. Meetings may not be scheduled before/after library hours. Exceptions may be granted by the Director with proper notice on the Application.

16. All publicity must indicate the name of the group sponsoring the event.
a) The library may not be identified as a sponsor or be responsible for publicity about the program.
b) Neither the name nor the address of the Pennsauken Free Public Library may be used as the address for groups using the meeting room.
c) The phone number of the Pennsauken Free Public Library may not be used as the phone number for the groups using the room.
d) All publicity must state: "Pennsauken Free Public Library does not endorse the policies, beliefs, or activities of the sponsoring group."

17. Groups are subject to copyright law in the use of film, video, music and other media and are also responsible for observing the admission policies associated with Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) guidelines when showing rated films in the meeting room. The limited licensing agreement for movies purchased by the Pennsauken Library prohibits the marketing of the name of the film outside of the Library for movies not in the public domain.

18. Unlawful activity is not permitted in this room.

19. Code of Conduct
a) The room may not be used for any meeting that has noise or physical activities which may disturb other people in the library.
b) All groups using the meeting room must abide by the library's Library Conduct Policy as posted in the library.

20. Please attach a Certificate of Insurance with the Pennsauken Free Public Library listed on said document if non-profit organization is in possession of such a document. Otherwise, the non-profit organization will have agreed to the Hold Harmless Agreement provision, which is included in the text of the application form.

Waiver of Regulations

Exceptions from specific regulations of the policy may be authorized in writing for the Friends of the Pennsauken Free Public Library, all Boards and agencies of the Township of Pennsauken and on behalf of the Township of Pennsauken, the Pennsauken Township Board of Education and the Pennsauken Free Public Library Staff.

Revised and Approved by the Board of Trustees, 5/23/17.

SD 5/17