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Giddens Conference Center
Meeting Room Policy
Statement of Policy
The purpose of the Fairhope Public Library is to
provide every resident of the community with free access to a broad variety of
material resources and to respond to informational, civic and recreational
needs. Meeting rooms in the library
provide an opportunity for bringing together the resources of the library and
the activities of the community. All
community meetings held in the library meeting rooms must be open to the public.
Community groups whose purposes are non-profit, civic,
cultural or educational are encouraged to use the various library meeting rooms
for group meetings when the rooms are not being used for their primary purpose
– library related activities. Meeting
rooms may not be used for social activities, private parties, commercial
endeavors or gatherings which advertise a product or service.
Library programs will take precedence over all other
scheduled meeting room events. The
library reserves the right to change or cancel meeting room reservations when
necessary; however, every effort will be made by the library to avoid such
conflicts.
Rooms will not be available on Sundays or when the library
is closed for scheduled holidays.
An official representative of the organization is
required to sign a meeting room agreement.
The agreement asks the signer to accept full responsibility for any
infraction of the regulations and any damage to Library property during a
meeting, and limit the number of people using the meeting room to the number set
by the Fire Marshall.
Reserving
the Giddens Conference Center
Charges
for the use of the room are as follows:
Large Groups (25 or over)
1. Without coffee bar use, $100 for
the first 4 hours, then $100 per hours
2. With coffee bar, use $150 for the
first 4 hours, then $150 per hour
3. Assistance with audio-visual
equipment or opening/closing assistance
when library is
closed - $25/hr
Small Groups: (25 or under)
1. Without coffee bar use, $25/hr
2. With coffee bar use, $35/hr
These charges must be paid at the time of reservation, or
at least 1 week before use. Use of room begins no earlier than 9:00 am and must
end no later than 11:00 pm.
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The
person reserving the room must be at least 18 years of age. A
reservation for a group of people under age 18 must be made by a supervising
adult.
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Reservations
for the room are made in person or by phone and must be reserved a minimum
of one week in advance of use.
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Groups
may wish to occasionally reserve facilities for programs in a series.
This may be possible with the approval of the library director.
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Tables
and chairs are available for the group to set up. The room should be
returned to its original state when use is over.
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By
order of the Fire Marshall, occupancy is limited as follows:
Auditorium
style seating 180______
Seminar
(Tables/chairs) 10
/ 40___
With
food service ____
100______
Meeting Room Rules
- The
use of the meeting room by a non-library group shall not be publicized in
such a way as to imply library sponsorship of the group’s activities.
- Announcements
or publicity must include an address or telephone number other than the
library as contact for information.
- Groups
should allow time to arrange the room to meet their needs.
- Refreshments
may be served in the meeting room only in the coffee bar.
- Groups
are responsible for notifying the library of cancellation of a meeting in
addition to notifying group members and/or the audience.
A cancellation fee of $25 will be retained from the reservation fee
for large groups and $10 for small.
- An
adult leader shall be present at all times and responsible for the
supervision of any groups of children under age 18 using this room.
- Use
of alcoholic beverages is not permitted in this room, except with permission
of the Fairhope Public Library Board and/or the City of Fairhope.
- Smoking
is not permitted in this room or under any covered porch around the library
building.
- Non-library
groups may not charge admission fees or make commercial solicitations on
library premises. Groups may
charge a reasonable fee to recover the cost of materials, handouts,
craft-making supplies, refreshments, etc.
- The
library has a check-list of meeting room closing procedures.
Groups are responsible for leaving the room in good order.
- The
library will attempt to reach the contact person for the group if the
library must close for an emergency.
Important – Please Note
- The
library does not endorse the views expressed by any group or individual
using this meeting room. The
library does endorse the right of those individuals or groups to express
their views so long as they abide by the policies and rules governing the
use of this room.
- To
reserve this room, please call or visit the library.
- The
adult who books the meeting room assumes full responsibility for any damages
to the facility or equipment which may occur as a result of the group’s
use.
- Parking
is limited. Encourage attendees
to carpool if necessary.
- Child
care for children of adults attending meetings in the Giddens Conference
Center is the responsibility of those adults. Children’s Department staff will not provide care.
- Failure
to abide by the rules may be justification for restricting the group’s
future use of a room.
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