Jackson-George Regional Library System
Board of Trustees
May 24, 2005
Policies for Meeting Room Use
These policies adopted by JGRLS Board of Trustees in 1995; revised in 2003 and 2005.
Meeting rooms and exhibit areas are an additional free Library service made available to the public under policies established by the JGRLS Board of Trustees. It is the intent of the Board to make these facilities available to the public on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use and in a manner which prohibits any one group or organization from dominating the use of these facilities.
These “General Policies” are applicable to all public libraries comprising the JGRLS, including East Central, Gautier, Lucedale-George County, Moss Point, Ocean Springs, Pascagoula, St. Martin and Vancleave.
1. With the exception of the Library and Friends of the Library organizations, Library facilities may not be used for fund-raising or commercial activities.
2. Library personnel reserve the right to monitor any activities and/or meetings without prior notice.
3. Applications for use of the Library’s meeting rooms are available at the public service desk. Completed applications must be submitted to the Library Manager at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the scheduled meeting time. Reservations will be granted in the order in which they are received.
4. Applications for meeting room use must be made by an authorized representative of the group. The applicant will be responsible to see that all policies are followed. A copy of these policies must be read, signed and returned to the Library Manager prior to the first scheduled meeting of the group.
5. Library sponsored activities are given “first priority” in the use of the meeting room. The Library retains the right to cancel a reservation granted to an outside group for a meeting room, but only in order to use the room for Library purposes or in case of a physical plant or weather related emergency. If such a reservation is canceled, the Library will notify the group holding the reservation at least forty-eight (48) hours prior to the scheduled meeting. During a physical plant or weather related emergency, the Library will notify the group as soon as possible.
6. If a group decides to cancel use of the meeting room, the authorized representative of the group must contact the Library at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the scheduled meeting.
7. The Library will not be responsible for, nor provide storage for, the property of groups which meet in the Library.
8. Recurring reservations for meeting room use will be accepted by the Library on an annual basis. A new application must be submitted each year.
9. Gambling in any form, alcoholic beverages of any kind, the possession and/or use of controlled substances and burning candles and other open flames in or on Library property is prohibited; smoking and other uses of tobacco in Library facilities is prohibited.
10. Nothing can be taped, stapled, or affixed in any way to the walls, doors, ceiling, cabinets or furnishings in or outside the meeting room.
11. As a general rule, groups using the meeting room may not charge a fee for attendance at meetings nor may a collection/donation be taken up. Fees for study groups, discussion series, conferences, training programs or other similar meetings may be collected if written permission has been secured in advance from the Library Manager.
12. Groups of students, high school age or under, must be sponsored by an adult and their meeting attended by an adult.
13. Meetings which would interfere with the work of the Library will not be permitted.
14. Organizations holding meetings assume responsibility for any damage to the room or its contents. The person signing the application to use a meeting room shall be held responsible for adhering to the conditions set forth in these policies.
15. With the exception of Library-sponsored programs and activities, meeting room users are prohibited from accessing the Internet via the JGRLS’s computer network or through direct dial-up (modem).
16. Meeting room users may conduct self-contained presentations (such as Power Point) in the meeting room when the only requirement is access to a power source.
17. The JGRLS Board of Trustees and staff do not assume any liability on groups or individuals attending a meeting in the Library nor for the safety, security or liability of artworks or exhibits by any individual or group on display at the Library.
18. The fact that the JGRLS Board of Trustees has considered and authorized a group or individuals to meet or exhibit in the Library does not constitute endorsement by the Library or Board of Trustees of the points of views expressed by participants in the meeting room or items in the exhibit.
19. If groups or individuals are found to be in violation of any of these meeting room and exhibit policies, the Library retains the right to cancel subsequent use of the meeting room and exhibit facilities by that group, organization or individual.
20. After reviewing the meeting room use application, the Library Manager is authorized to approve/deny the group’s request to use the Library meeting room or exhibit space. Requests that are denied by the Library Manager may be forwarded to the Library Director for reconsideration. These requests should be addressed to: Library Director, Jackson-George Regional Library System, 3214 Pascagoula Street, Pascagoula, MS, 39567. If the applicant is still dissatisfied with the ruling, a request for reconsideration can be sent to the JGRLS Board of Trustees at the above address. Action taken by the Board of Trustees is final.
q Specific policies regarding the use of Library meeting rooms in Gautier, Lucedale-George County, Moss Point, Ocean Springs and Pascagoula may be adopted by the local Library Advisory Board as long as they do not conflict with these “General Policies.”
q Specific policies regarding the use of Library meeting rooms in East Central, St. Martin and Vancleave may be adopted by the JGRLS Board of Trustees.