Policy

Refer to the library's website for community room policy, rules and procedures, outlined on the Community room reservations page and in the Public use of large community rooms policy.

Community rooms are available for patrons to use and can be reserved online through Communico Reserve. Patrons needing assistance with making a reservation may contact or visit the library to get help from staff. Below are procedures for assisting patrons with reserving community rooms and approving the use of large community rooms. For instructions on making and canceling reservations in Communico Reserve, see Community Room Reservations in the Circulation Manual. 

Small and medium community rooms do not require approval and may be booked immediately, if available. Use of the large community rooms generally requires an application, which includes information about the use and agreeing to the large community rooms policy, and must be approved by the library. There are limitations of use for all the rooms, see the Community room reservations page (a general policy for the community rooms is in development and will be linked here once it is available - 10/23/24). 

Instructions for assisting patrons with reserving community rooms

• Direct the patron to the location page to reserve a community room. Each location page lists the community rooms at the location.
  • They can also view all available rooms on the Community room reservation page - see the accordion menus listing the community rooms 
  • or  browse and reserve on the Communico Reserve reservation page
• Assist the patron with determining which room would best fit their needs. See table below for a quick overview of the different room sizes and limitations. Consider the following scenarios when assisting the patron in identifying a community room that fits their needs: 
  • For immediate use: small and medium rooms can be booked immediately and do not require an application; large rooms need to be approved (takes up to 72 hours) and must adhere to Large community rooms policy
  • Individual or small group use (less than 11 people): small and medium-sized rooms, don’t need to be open to the public, but still must adhere to library rules and the general community rooms policy
  • For a short period of time (less than 4 hours): small and medium-sized rooms. Large rooms may be used for longer meetings or events, but require an approved application and must adhere to the Large community room policy. 
  • A space for an event that will be open to the public: large community room 

* varies by location
** communico Reserve limits bookings to 30 minute increments
*** government agencies may book the room up to 4 months in advance

For large community rooms:

• Guide the patron to the Public use of large community rooms policy on the website, so they can review the current rules for the large community rooms. You can print a copy of the policy, if the patron prefers to have a physical copy for review. 
• Discuss the purpose of the meeting or event with the patron to determine whether it appears to meet the large community room use criteria:
  • Open to the general public and event or meeting is focused on learning or the exchange of ideas
  • No commercial activities, including no fees will be charged, no solicitation of donations, no sales of products or services promoted at the time of the meeting or event or subsequent to the meeting or event
  • Not a private, personal event such as a wedding, funeral, shower, birthday party, recital, or similar event
  • An adult age 18 or older will be present and responsible at all times 
  • Frequency of multiple meetings or events does not exceed what the rules allow
  • Expected size of the meeting will not exceed the room's capacity
  • The applicant understands and agrees to follow the other rules in the policy.

For another county department or other government agencies:

• Determine whether the request meets the government agency community room use criteria:
  • Requestor is a publicly funded government agency or contracted by a government agency
  • Topic of meeting or event is related to the work of the government agency (e.g. informing or getting input from the public about a program, providing application assistance for a service).
• Frequency of multiple meetings does not exceed what the location can accommodate given library needs and public demand.
• Expected size of the meeting will not exceed the room's capacity.
• They understand and agree to follow the other rules.
• If the agency wants to have a closed meeting when the library is closed to the public but library staff are onsite, they will need to make arrangements with that location.

Community Partners

• Community partners should work with their contacts at the library to reserve community rooms for library-sponsored programs. Library contacts should make sure to go over the rules and expectations (e.g. room is clean and furniture put back) with community partners.

If the meeting or event appears to meet the criteria for use of the  large community rooms:

• Guide the patron to the reservation page for the large community room with the link to the application. Explain that their application must be filled out, submitted and approved before their use of the large community room is confirmed. 
• Communico Reserve will hold the room for that day and time while the application is being reviewed by approvers at the location.
• If the patron says they have been previously approved, inform them that they now need to submit an application with each reservation. Applications are no longer approved for a year, but must be reviewed with each reservation request. Note Communico Reserve does not allow for recurring reservations; each reservation must be submitted and approved.
• Explain that a designated staff member must review their application and confirm their reservation. If the completed and signed application is in hand, the PIC can approve it according to the instructions below.
• If the form is mailed in or delivered later, staff should give the form to the location approver for approval. For requests that are submitted in print form by mail or in person, the approver will enter the information in Communico Reserve and then reach out to the patron through their preferred contact method to communicate whether the application was approved or declined, and any next steps. 

If you are unsure whether the meeting meets the criteria of the large community use rules:

• Consult with the PIC. If the PIC is also unsure, have the patron complete the large community room application. Explain that a supervisor or manager will review the application and get back to them to let them know whether or not the use is approved.
• Make sure they understand that the reservation is NOT confirmed, and they should not advertise the meeting until they receive notification that their meeting has been approved.
• The designated approvers at the location for the large community room requested will review the application.
• If the patron doesn’t want to submit an application and would like to have a manager contact them to further discuss their use of the community rooms, take their information and refer the issue to the location manager. If needed, the location managers can then escalate to Regional Managers or Director of Locations or Director of Communications.

Approving Large Community Room Applications: Instructions for Approvers, PICs, Supervisors and Managers:

• Review the application and the rules to determine whether the meeting meets the criteria for the large community rooms.
• If the meeting or event is approved:
  • In Communico Reserve, locate the request and click review. In the next window,  select "Approve" and then follow the prompts to send details.
  • This will prompt a confirmation message to the email in the application. If the email is not a legitimate email (e.g. noemail@noemail.com), then you will need to contact the patron by phone or mail.  
  • For more detailed instructions and visuals of the steps, see the Approving Room Bookings section in the Communico Reserve: Room Approver training in Niche Academy.
• If the meeting or event is not approved due to not meeting the criteria set out by the policy:
  • Contact the patron to clarify any questions about the meeting or event.
  • Consult the Regional Managers, Central Library Manager or Director of Location Services if you need assistance. If the meeting is approved after consultation, follow instructions above.
  • If the meeting is not approved, in Communico Reserve locate the request and click review. In the next window, select "Decline." Add a modified version of the following statement in the box that says “Reason for declining?”:

Your application to reserve a large community room is denied due to [REASON -citing the policy criteria not met]. Please contact the library if you have questions or need help finding an alternate space or time.

Then select the Decline button. This will send a message to the  applicant. If the email is not a legitimate email (e.g. noemail@noemail.com), then you will need to contact the patron by phone or mail.  

• For requests that are submitted in print form by mail or in person, the approver will enter the information in Communico Reserve and then reach out to the patron through their preferred contact method to communicate why the application was declined, and next steps if they want more information and or need assistance in finding other options. Explain that the meeting time tentatively booked for them is no longer being held.
• By declining the application, the hold on the booking will be released, allowing others to request the room for that date and time. 
• For more detailed instructions and visuals of the steps, see Declining a Room booking section in the Communico Reserve: Room Approver training in Niche Academy.

When a patron wants more information about a denied application or wants to appeal the decision:

• Take the time to explain how the application did not meet the criteria for the large community rooms - the criteria should be detailed in the original decline, but it may be helpful to review the policy with the patron.
• Any applicant denied use of a large community room may appeal the denial in writing to the location services director. The director will review the application and respond in writing to the applicant.

Record retention for community room reservations

• Do not delete community rooms reservations or applications in Communico Reserve.
• Per county record retention schedules, information on approval and use of the community rooms must be maintained for 1 year. 
• Note: a process is being developed to export and retain Communico Reserve records -10.23.24

Instructions for Supervising Large Community Room Use

• Each day, post a sign in the holder outside the large community room door announcing the public meetings or events that are taking place in the room and indicating that they are open to the public.
• Check in on the meeting to make sure that occupancy limits are observed.
• Enforce the library rules and large community room use rules as necessary.

Frequently Asked Questions About Library Meeting Room Use

Can religious or political groups use library meeting rooms?

In general, yes. Case law supports the use of library public meeting rooms by groups that have a religious or political purpose, based on the large community room's status as a limited public forum. Provided all room use rules are met by the group, religious or political groups are welcome to use the large community rooms for public meetings or events. Some types of meetings (e.g., a weekly religious worship service or a candidate's fundraiser) would not be approved because they don't meet other large community room use criteria. 

If the religious or political group wants to have a closed meeting and can limit the meeting to the capacity of the small or medium room, then they could reserve a small or medium community room, as long as the meeting fit the requirements of the small and medium community rooms (see Community rooms reservation page for more details).

Can groups that charge dues, such as scout troops or rotary clubs, use library meeting rooms?

As long as everyone who wishes to attend the meeting is allowed to do so, even if they are not dues-paying members; and all other large community room use rules are observed, the meeting is allowable.

However, if they want to have a closed meeting and are able to limit attendance to maximum capacity of the medium-sized rooms as well as are able to adhere to other criteria for use of the small and medium community rooms, the medium community rooms is an option. 

May a homeowners' association use the library meeting room?

Yes. Homeowners' associations often have responsibility to maintain public amenities like greenspace, so their meetings may have a civic purpose and be of interest to the general public. As long as everyone who wants to attend the meeting is allowed to do so and all other large community room use criteria are met, a homeowners' association meeting is allowable.

However, if they want to have a closed meeting and are able to limit attendance to maximum capacity of the medium-sized rooms as well as are able to adhere to other criteria for use of the small and medium community rooms, the medium community rooms is an option for a homeowners’ association. 

Can a group book a large community room for a full day? 

Yes, if the room is available on the preferred day and for the time the group needs, they may reserve the room for a full day, half day or any other amount of time that the library is open (note: all meetings must end 10 minutes before closing). If the group is external or a government agency, then the location will want to connect with the group contact to remind them about clean up, food limitations (light refreshments), limited staff support for set up and technology help and other aspects of the policy that may impact staff at the location. If it is a booking for a community partner, the library contact will want to review the policy limitations and expectations with the representative for the community partner.