C-3 Meeting Rooms Use

HELEN PLUM LIBRARY

C-3 Meeting Rooms Use

Approved by the Library Board of Trustees January 16, 2024.  Effective February 13, 2024.

The Meeting Rooms referred to in this policy include the 1^st floor Plum Meeting Rooms (Combined, Helen Plum Meeting Room, and Colonel William Plum Meeting Room) and the 2^nd floor Conference Room.

Preference for use of the Meeting Rooms is for the Helen M. Plum Memorial Public Library District (“Library”).

RESERVATION REQUESTS

Meeting Rooms are available free of charge. All reservations are subject to Library Policies and Rules.

Use of a Meeting Room does not constitute the Library’s endorsement or sponsorship of the applicant’s[1] event, viewpoint, or purpose.

Applicant Eligibility

Reservations are available to:

• Helen Plum Library cardholders, which includes individual cardholders and business cardholders: Get a Library Card | Helen Plum Library.

The Executive Director may make reservation exceptions for:

• Non-profit organizations that serve the Lombard community
• Public sector organizations that serve the Lombard community
• Library-related organizations

Organizations consisting of children under age 18 are welcome to reserve a room if the group is accompanied by an adult sponsor.

Reservation Details

The Meeting Rooms are available only during the hours that the Library is open to the public, beginning 30 minutes after the Library’s opening time and up to 30 minutes before the Library’s closing time. The Executive Director may make exceptions for Election activities and Library-related events.

Events that are likely to be noisier should be booked in the Plum Meeting Rooms. Louder events in the Conference Room can be disruptive to other patrons using the Library.

Room setup options and equipment details are available online.

 

	Conference Room	Combined Meeting Room	Helen Plum Meeting Room	Colonel Plum Meeting Room
Capacity	5-16 People	20-65 people	5-40 people	5-40 people
Reservation Open[2]	1-12 weeks before date requested	2-12 weeks before date requested	2-12 weeks before date requested	2-12 weeks before date requested
Maximum Time Limit	3 Hours	None	None	None
Maximum Reservation Frequency	1 per week	2 per month

 

Food and Beverages

Covered beverages are allowed. Food is allowed only if requested at the time of application and with advanced permission. If food is allowed, a cleanup kit and additional trash bins will be provided by the Library.

• Organizations are responsible for leaving the room in the condition they find it in as determined by Library staff. Organizations that fail to comply will have future Meeting Room requests denied and reservations revoked.
• Organizations are responsible for discarding any remaining food and beverages in the provided trash bins or otherwise removed from the building. 

Per Policy U-8 Drug and Alcohol-Free Library – Patrons, alcohol is prohibited.

Cancellations

Room setups and planning take Library time and resources. When an organization needs to cancel a reservation, the Library is to be notified as soon as possible. Reservations can be cancelled via the cancellation link found in the applicant’s reservation confirmation email or by calling the Library.

Late Arrivals

Reservations will not be extended past the reservation time for any reason.

Reservation Exclusions

The following are prohibited:

• Events that the Executive Director considers to be potentially harmful to the Library, staff, patrons, or event participants; in violation of Library Policies and Rules; or in conflict with the Library’s Vision and Mission.
• Social functions, including, but not limited to, parties, playgroups, and dances.[3]
• Events with messy activities that could damage Library property or result in excessive cleanup.
• Commercial functions, which include events that charge admission fees, fairs that sell goods or services, and fundraising events except for fundraising events that benefit the Library.
• Events that will cause substantial disruptions to the normal, everyday operations of the Library or its use by Library patrons.

The Executive Director will revoke future reservations if the applicant or organization has:

• Damaged Library property
• Violated Library Policies and/or Rules
• Misrepresented the nature or scope of an event
• Failed to cancel in advance reservations multiple times

Anyone denied permission to use a Meeting Room by the Executive Director may appeal that decision at the next Board of Trustees Meeting during Public Comment. Rules for Public Comment are found in the Trustee Bylaws. The decision of the Board is final.

Reservation Requirements

Meeting Room reservations are not approved or confirmed until receipt of the signed Meeting Room Reservation Acknowledgement. Patrons who request a Meeting Room reservation are required to accept the following statements:

• Applicants must comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which includes accommodating requests made by event participants with disabilities.
• The Library’s public liability insurance coverage does not cover the negligence of the applicant using a Meeting Room or any of the applicants’ participants. It does not protect the applicants if suit is brought against them. Applicants will indemnify and hold harmless the Trustees of the Library from any loss or liability by virtue of its use of the Meeting Rooms to the full extent permitted by law.
• The applicant agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Trustees of the Library for any and all accidents which may be sustained on the premises.
• If Library Policies or Rules are violated before or during an event, the reservation will be revoked immediately.
• The applicant agrees to reimburse the Library for any and all willful and/or accidental damage that occurs to the Library buildings, grounds, furniture, furnishings, or equipment resulting from this use of the Meeting Rooms as determined by the Library.
• In case of emergency, the Library reserves the right to assign an alternative meeting date or cancel the reservation. The Library is not responsible for losses incurred by the organization due to the cancellation of the meeting by the Library.
• The Library is not responsible for any personal property owned by the applicant or participants.
• Any publicity related to events hosted in a Meeting Room must include the following phrase: "This event is not sponsored by or endorsed by the Helen Plum Library."
• Event activities must be confined to the reserved Meeting Room.
• Reservations are not transferable; the applicant requesting the Meeting Room Reservation must be present at the event.

Library’s Responsibilities for Meeting Room Reservations

• The Library will provide a cleanup kit and additional trash bins if requested by applicant during the application process.
• The Meeting Room will be set up prior to the event’s start time.
• The Library will not store applicant’s property before or after an event except for materials related to Election activities and events that benefit the Library hosted by Library-related organizations.
• The Library will not participate in the event, including but not limited to concierge services and promotion beyond sharing the time and Meeting Room location.
• The Library cannot guarantee that staff will be available to help with technical setup or troubleshooting.
• The Library cannot guarantee that all technical equipment will be functioning.
• Library staff are not responsible for moving any items or equipment that do not belong to the Library.
• Library staff must be allowed entrance into the Meeting Room at any time.

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[1] Applicant refers to the person and/or organization that reserves a Meeting Room.

[2]Advance reservation requests may be made in the interest of public safety, for Election-related activities, and by Library-related organizations at the discretion of the Executive Director.

[3] Events that support the Vision and Mission of the Library may be scheduled by organizations, including but not limited to book and hobby clubs.