Meeting Room Terms and Conditions

ORANGE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM MEETING ROOM POLICY

The Orange County Library System makes available public meeting spaces for users of the library in accordance with the following policy. The primary use of Library Meeting Rooms shall be for Library or Library-sponsored activities held in conjunction with the Friends of the Library or community partners, or for other library purposes. When otherwise available, the Library will offer Meeting Rooms for the use of groups and citizens, regardless of their affiliation or beliefs. The Rooms will be available for groups or citizens to conduct programs, meetings, seminars, study groups, planning sessions, training programs and related activities. All such events shall be free and open to members of the public who may wish to attend. The Library shall not discriminate in granting permission for the use of Meeting Rooms on the basis of race, religion, age, gender, national origin or disability. In allowing a group to use a Meeting Room, the Library does not imply any endorsement of the group’s beliefs, policies, practices or program. Library authorization to book public meeting space will be granted only to adult cardholders whose library cards are in good standing, as well as to adult noncardholders at a premium rate. All who wish to reserve a room must submit a completed Meeting Room User Agreement Form.

Revised and Approved by the Board of Trustees March 10, 2016.

MEETING ROOM USER AGREEMENT FORM

I. Requirements for Room Reservations

(A) The Library and the Friends have priority use of Meeting Rooms in all Orange County Library System Libraries. Upon notice and for adequate reasons, without limitation, the Library may revoke permission to use a Meeting Room if it is needed for use by the Library or the Friends. The Library will endeavor to avoid cancellations, and when they occur, try to offer alternative meeting space. Advance notice will be given should a cancellation become necessary and the Meeting Room fee will be refunded. Please note that this is the only circumstance for which a refund will be provided.

(B) Groups may schedule meetings in the Meeting Rooms when they are not being used for Library or Friends of the Library events. The contact person who books the Meeting Room for the group must be an OCLS Resident, Property Owner or Fee Card Holder in good standing (with balance of less than $10 in fees, no manual blocks, and card has not expired), and must be present when the meeting is held, take full responsibility for scheduling the meeting, following the Meeting Room Policy and taking care of the Meeting Room. Room assignments are made at the discretion of the Library, based on need and availability. If a non-resident books a meeting room, it shall be at a premium rate.

(C) The Meeting Rooms are not intended to serve as a permanent public meeting location for any group. Meetings may be booked up to two months in advance. The Library’s address cannot be used as an address for any group using its Meeting Rooms. The Library’s telephone number cannot be used as the contact number or for registration for the group and its meeting.

(D) No entrance or admission fee may be charged for meetings held at OCLS. Solicitations of donations or requests for contributions are not permitted.

(E) All groups using a Meeting Room must complete, submit, and at the request of the Library staff, update a Meeting Room application. The application shall incorporate by reference this Meeting Room Policy and the Library Rules of Conduct, and shall recite that the applicant group has received a copy of this Policy and the Library Rules of Conduct and agrees to abide by the terms and conditions of both.

(F) Reservations may be made online (preferred method) or by phone or in person through the office of the Library Marketing and Public Relations Department for meetings at the Orlando Public Library, or through staff at the Branch at which the meeting is being held. No group may reserve or use any Meeting Room unless the group complies in all respects with the provisions of this Policy and submits, in fully executed form, the application called for in this Policy.

(G) It is recommended that applications should be submitted at least seven days prior to the meeting date in order to allow sufficient time to process that application.

(H) Any false, misleading or incomplete statement on the application shall be grounds to deny or revoke permission to use the Meeting Rooms.

(I) The Library Director, or designee, reserves the right to reject a reservation request if the anticipated meeting is likely to be unreasonably disruptive to regular Library functions, too large for the applicable room capacity, disorderly, dangerous to persons or property, or in any other way inconsistent with or in contravention of any of the terms and conditions of the Policy or the Library Rules of Conduct. In determining whether such likelihood exists, the Library Director, or designee, may take into consideration the
contents of the application, the history of the group’s Meeting Room use in the Library, and such other information as he or she may deem appropriate.

(J) The Library Director, or designee, has the authority to determine, in his or her reasonable discretion, whether any proposed use of a Meeting Room will require a police detail or other extraordinary police protection, and if so, the anticipated cost thereof. In making this determination, the Library Director or designee may take into consideration the contents of the application, the history of the group’s Meeting Room use in the Library, and such other information as he or she may deem appropriate, and may consult with appropriate local law enforcement. If the Library Director or designee determines that such police protection will be reasonably necessary, the group seeking to reserve the use of a Meeting Room shall be required, as a condition of such reservation, to pay to the Library by such date in advance of the meeting as the Library Director, or designee, reasonably sets, the anticipated cost of such police protection,
and such sum shall be applied thereto, with any surplus being returned to the group after the meeting.

(K) A Meeting Room is not considered reserved until the application is received, paid for, approved and confirmed by the Library. Reservations shall be accepted, subject to the provisions of this Policy in the order received and upon the availability of an appropriate room.

(L) Only adult cardholders are eligible to book Meeting Rooms and Group Study Rooms. Adult non-cardholders may book meeting rooms provided they pay a premium rate for the booking. See Meeting Room Fee Schedule.

II. Failure to Comply with Meeting Requirements

Failure to comply with the stipulations in this Policy may result in the inability to book future meetings. For minor infractions, a patron may be given the opportunity to resolve the issue and reserve rooms in the future at the discretion of library staff. More serious and/or continued offenses will result in not being able to use Library meeting rooms going forward.

III. Meeting Room Fees and Catering Charges

Please see the fee schedule for Meeting Room charges. Group Study Rooms may be booked for free with a Library card in good standing. All fees must be paid when submitting the Meeting Room reservation application and agreement form, and are nonrefundable. A reservation without a paid fee is incomplete and will not be honored. Acceptable forms of payment are cash, money order, credit card or certified check. Payments can be made via telephone or in person. If booking in person, the requestor will be provided a receipt with payment. A paid receipt will be required for entrance to the meeting room. If a group wishes to bring in hot food or make catering arrangements for their meeting in Library Meeting Rooms, an administrative fee will apply. The catering option is not offered for Group Study Rooms. Library approval is required to bring in hot food. Meetings that run beyond their scheduled time will be assessed for each additional two hours or fraction thereof. Refunds will not be issued for meetings that end before the scheduled time.

IV. Use of Facilities

(A) If a meeting or event in progress disturbs regular Library operations, the Library reserves the right to immediately terminate the meeting or event. The group, upon notification of a disturbance, will immediately discontinue the disturbance or vacate the premises.

(B) Library staff will not provide assistance in setting up Meeting Rooms.

(C) Materials may not be affixed to the walls, ceilings, doors or windows. Limited decorating, such as floral centerpieces or name tents, is permitted but certain types of decorations are prohibited. Restrictions include but are not limited to:

  • Confetti or other items which make cleaning or vacuuming difficult
  • Decorations with metallic glitter
  • Burning candles, incense, pyrotechnics or any type of open flame

(D) Chairs and tables are available but the group is required to set them up and return them to their original position when the meeting is over.

(E) Clean up of the room, including throwing away napkins or other paper items and wiping down of tables, is the responsibility of the persons using the Meeting Room.

(F) Everyone using the Meeting Room must follow the Library Rules of Conduct which include no smoking, no alcohol and no activities that interfere with Library use or safety.

(G) In consideration of the use of the Meeting Room and Library facilities, any person or group using a Meeting Room hereby agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Library from any and all actions and suites related to its use of such Meeting Rooms and facilities. Further, such person or group agrees to reimburse the Library for any and all costs for repair or any special cleaning that may be required and all damage that may be caused directly or indirectly to the Meeting Room and/or facilities by such use. Such costs will be charged to the contact person’s Library card account. If any person or group refuses to pay for the damage, the matter will be referred to the Library’s attorney
for legal action and the group will lose further Meeting Room booking privileges.

(H) With the exception of equipment available in the Albertson Room the Library will not provide electronic or other meeting support materials such as markers, paper, etc. Meeting organizers are permitted to bring their own equipment but Library staff will not support its operation.

V. Publicity

In allowing a group to use a Meeting Room, the Library does not imply any endorsement of the group’s beliefs, policies, practices or program. No group shall state or suggest in any of its publicity that the Library sponsors or endorses the meeting, the group or any particular set of ideas.

VI. User Agreement

The individual completing the User Agreement agrees to comply with the Libraries Meeting Room Policy and this Meeting Room Agreement. A completed booking under a library card number shall serve as authorization that the card holder has electronically signed and agreed.

OCLS Form January 2023

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