Wauconda Area Library

Genevieve Lincoln Community Meeting Room

Statement of Policy

Approved by the Board of Library Trustees originally on November 10, 2003

Revised January 12, 2004

Revised February 9, 2004
Revised November 8, 2004

1. The Wauconda Area Public Library District offers the use of its Genevieve Lincoln community meeting room and the smaller training room for civic, cultural, educational, and public information meetings of non-profit groups based in the Wauconda Area Public Library District.

2. Permission to use the meeting room does not constitute an endorsement of a group’s policies or beliefs. Advertisements for meetings held in the library do not imply library sponsorship.

3. No organization may use the library as its official address except the Friends of the Library. The library is not responsible for items owned by community groups and left in the library, nor can the library provide storage for the property of organizations that meet here.

4. Meetings must be made open to the public. Individuals, groups or organizations booking the Genevieve Lincoln Community Meeting Room and/or the training room assume full responsibility for providing and paying for special accommodations that are requested by participants in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

5. The meeting rooms may not be used for:

a) Partisan or individual candidates’ political meetings or events (such as political rallies, demonstrations, movies, fundraisers, promotion, protesting, or endorsement of political candidates or agenda).

b) Religious or philosophical/motivational groups that wish to hold services, ceremonies, prayers or events to recruit new members.

c) Meetings for family, personal, or strictly social reasons, such as family reunions, weddings, receptions, etc.

d) Any activity that is in violation of local, state, or federal ordinances or laws, including copyright and public performance laws

6. The library’s meeting rooms are not available to individual political parties, candidates, or to individuals or groups who wish to use the rooms to support or oppose political parties or candidates.

7. Meetings are scheduled during regular library hours, and reservations must be made in advance and in-person. Applications for use of the Meeting Room are taken on a first-come, first-served basis, upon receipt of a completed Meeting Room Application. The group’s authorized representative reserving the room must be at least 18 years of age. The library should be notified if a cancellation becomes necessary. Failure to cancel sooner than 24 hours before the meeting is scheduled may result in future applications being denied. The only person authorized to cancel a meeting is the signer of the application or the contact specified on the application.

8. Applications must be submitted in writing at least seven days prior to the meeting date in order to allow sufficient time to process the application and notify the contact person. They will be accepted no earlier than two months before the desired meeting date. For example, for a meeting to be held on April 10, the earliest date an application may be submitted is February 10.

9. Due to the popularity of the Meeting Rooms, organizations (including all sub-groups) are limited to one scheduled day per month.

10. Library personnel will set up and take down the room.

11. There is a 100 person limit for non-library sponsored programs in the Genevieve Lincoln room. There is a 20 person limit for non library sponsored programs being held in the training room. The library has 100 chairs and 8 conference tables available for public use.

12. All groups using the Genevieve Lincoln Meeting Room or the Training Room must pay a $25.00 usage fee, which is non-refundable and goes towards the maintenance of the meeting room. If damage or clean up exceeds the amount of the usage fee, additional fees can be assessed. A $10.00 equipment usage fee shall be assessed for any group using any additional meeting room equipment (VCR, TV, overhead projector, etc.)

13. The library’s LCD Projector is not available for events which are not library-sponsored.

14. Groups of fifty or more will be required to pay a $25.00 set up/take down fee. Groups of any size requiring use of library equipment where set up is necessary, i.e., TV/VCR, shall be required to pay a $10.00 set up fee.

15. Piano recitals will be charged an additional $25.00 to go toward the annual tuning and maintenance of the piano.

16. No group may reassign the use of the room.

17. Smoking is not permitted in the Meeting Rooms or in any other area of the library in accordance with the Illinois Clean Air Act at any time.

18. No behavior is allowed in the meeting room that may result in the damaging of any of the carpeting, furniture, walls, or fixtures. If such damage occurs, the organization using the room will be held responsible. The potential for any such damage may be considered grounds for denial of the organization’s application. Meetings that would interfere with normal library activities and work will not be permitted.

19. Library meeting rooms must be restored to their original clean condition.

20. Priority will be given to library-sponsored programs and meetings.

21. The library reserves the right to cancel the reservations for any meeting scheduled providing the organization receives 7 days notice.

22. If an organization is denied the use of the meeting room by the administration office, it can appeal to the Library Board of Trustees at the next regularly scheduled monthly meeting.

23. The use of a library meeting room is a privilege and not a right and is subject to the Library's sole and exclusive discretion. Accordingly, the Library reserves the right to deny the use of any meeting room to any group.