John & Carol Hubbard Community Room Policy

The Walpole Town Library Board of Trustees recognizes Article 6 of the Library Bill of Rights which states that such facilities (meeting rooms) should be made available to the public served by the given library “on an equitable basis, regardless or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.”

The Library will offer the John & Carol Hubbard Community Room as a meeting space for civic, cultural, educational and other non-commercial activities, especially those of interest to the citizens of Walpole. Meeting space at the Library is not available for benefit of private individuals or commercial concerns or when in the judgment of the Library Director and Library Board of Trustees disruptive behavior may be likely to occur.

1. Reservations
   1. Applications are available at the library, and require date, time, proposed frequency, estimated number of attendees, and the need for audiovisual equipment.  Any AV the Library does not own will be the responsibility of the sponsor to provide.
   1. The Library Director must approve all applications and may bring any application to the Board of Trustees for discussion and approval.
   1. A meeting schedule is maintained by the Library Director.
   1. Applications requesting use of the John & Carol Hubbard Community Room after normal library operating hours will require a staff member to open and close the building and therefore will be approved based on staff availability at the Library Director’s discretion.
2. Conditions & Limitations
   1. Programs may not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age or handicapped status.
   1. Programs must conclude by 9 p.m.
   1. The person reserving the meeting room must be 18 years or older, have a valid Walpole Town Library card, be a member of the group booking the room, and must attend the meeting.
   1. All programs must be open to the public.
   1. No admission fee may be charged, nor may a collection be taken.  The only exceptions are:  fees for materials used during the program; registration fees at conferences held in cooperation with the Library; or fees for regularly scheduled education courses by nonprofit organizations.
   1. Smoking is not permitted in the building or on library grounds.
   1. No tacks, nails, or scotch tape may be affixed to doors, walls, or furniture.
   1. The approval of the Library Director is required for any display / exhibits or printed materials to be used in conjunction with the program.
   1. Light refreshments, excluding alcoholic beverages, may be served if permission is granted by the Library Director at the time of application.  The sponsoring group must provide all necessary equipment, i.e. cups, utensils, napkins, etc. Access to the staff kitchen will be available at the discretion of the Library Director.
   1. Sponsoring group is responsible for setting up of the space and for returning it to the order in which it was found. 
   1. No product or service may be sold, except for those necessary for the program in process.
   1. Library staff shall have free and open access to the meeting room at all times, including during meetings. The Library retains the right to monitor all meetings conducted on Library premises for the purpose of ensuring compliance with the Policy and the Library’s rules and regulations.

• Programs for youth must have at least two adults (21 or over) present at all times.
  • All publicity must carry the name of the sponsoring organization.  Publicity must also state that the program is handicap accessible and that advance notice is needed for a sign-language interpreter.  Sponsoring group must provide the interpreter.
  • Neither the name nor the address of the main or branch library may be used as the official address or headquarters of any organization.
  • Use of the meeting rooms by outside groups does not constitute the Library’s endorsement of viewpoints expressed by participants in the program. Publicity or announcements implying or stating such library sponsorship or endorsements are prohibited. The Library telephone number is not to be included in any news releases or flyers publicizing the event. No group may use the Library as a mailing address. No publicity will be done by the Library for groups booking the meeting room.
  • All use of the meeting rooms must be in compliance with the Library’s Disruptive Behavior Policy and other applicable policies.

• The Library is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.
  • No program in the Library may be broadcast or televised without the express permission of the Library Board of Trustees.
• Cancellations                                                                                                                                           a.  Given adequate reason(s), the Library Board of Trustees reserves the right to revoke permission to present a program.  Sufficient notice will be given to sponsoring group so that participants may be notified in advance of the meeting date.
  • If a program must be cancelled by the sponsoring group; the Library Director should be notified immediately. Program date posters should be pulled and a sign indicating the cancellation hung on the Library bulletin board by the group. On the date of the program, the Library Director will place a note on the front door to notify the public of the cancellation.
  • In the event of an emergency closing (weather, power outage, etc.) the director will notify the sponsoring group. 

Note:   Exceptions to these policies are possible only by express permission of the Walpole Town Library Board of Trustees.