Meeting Room Use

Guidance:

1. All meetings must be free of charge and open to the public with the exception of events for children (please refer to our Child Safety Policy). Use of the Meeting Room is primarily for non-profit organizations, community groups, and individuals presenting civic, educational, and cultural programs to the public.
2. Preference will be given to Library programs (including those coordinated by the Friends of the Library), and programs by parties with a substantial connection to Wayland. Private, closed, commercial sales, and/or family functions are not permitted.
3. Meetings that are not sponsored by the Library will not be advertised by the Library, though the Library calendar will include a description of such events.
4. In order to make the Room widely available to a variety of groups, limits may be placed on the number of times a single organization may use the Room in a calendar year.
5. Applications are available online and at the main circulation desk. Applications must be filed no earlier than six weeks and at least 14 days prior to the date of desired use. No group will be permitted to use the Room without an approved application on file. Minors may not reserve the Room. You must inform Library staff 48 hours in advance if you no longer need to use the Room. Failure to do so may result in the future loss of use of the Room privileges.
6. The meeting rooms will be scheduled according to the following priorities:
   – Library related meetings or programs
   – Municipal meetings
   – Local organizations directly serving the civic, educational, cultural or recreational interests of the town, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
7. The Room shall not be used for entrepreneurial or commercial purposes, for the solicitation of business, for profit or for fundraising other than fundraising that supports the Library, unless specifically permitted by the Library. No admission may be charged. No goods or services shall be promoted, sold or exchanged upon the premises or by sample, pictures, or descriptions. Groups using the Room must not use advertising and publicity which imply that their programs are sponsored, co-sponsored, endorsed or approved by the Library, unless written permission to do so has been previously given by the Library. All publicity for non-library sponsored events is the responsibility of the individual or organization using the meeting room and will contain the disclaimer “This event is neither sponsored nor endorsed by the Wayland Free Public Library.”

1. Presenters and attendees are subject to all library rules, regulations, and policies including those for behavior and children’s safety. Youth groups and activities must have adequate adult supervision.
2. All events in the Room must occur during the library’s open hours, and the room must be vacated 15 minutes before closing time.
3. A maximum of 40 persons is permitted in the meeting room.
4. Groups are responsible for setting up the room as needed for their meeting. Library staff are not available for extensive furniture setup.
5. Light refreshments may be served in the room. Groups serving refreshments must remove all leftover food and drink and deposit all trash into receptacles. The room should be left clean and orderly after use.
6. Requests to use the library’s media equipment (projector, screens, etc.) should be made at least two weeks in advance. Library staff are available for basic instruction and an overview of the meeting room technology and functions. Extensive training and technical support are not available. Groups and individuals using library equipment are responsible for having someone onsite with the knowledge to use it properly.
7. The Library is not responsible for items left in the building by meeting participants.
8. The organization or person responsible for reserving the Room is liable for damage or theft of Library property.
9. No lit candles or other open flames are allowed in the Library.
10. Smoking is prohibited. No alcoholic beverages are allowed on library premises without permission of the Trustees, and an official liquor license must be obtained from the Select Board.
11. The Trustees are not responsible for the cancellation of an application for the use of the meeting room in case an emergency results in the closing of the Library.
12. The library will deny meeting space to any group or individual that discriminates on the basis of a person’s membership in a protected class, including race, national origin, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
13. Any required permits or licenses are the responsibility of the meeting group, not the Library.

All organizations or groups shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the Library and the Town of Wayland, as well as its officers, agents and employees from and against any and all claims, suits, actions of any kind, arising and resulting and accruing from any negligent or wrongful act, omission or error of the organization or group resulting in or relating to personal injuries or property damage arising from the organization/group’s use of a Library Room.

Approved by the Board of Library Trustees 7/27/2022