Purpose: To establish guidelines for use of the meeting rooms at the Newport Public Library (“the Library”).
Definition: The Library welcomes everyone to use its meeting rooms. Use of the meeting rooms runs parallel to the Library’s mission to strengthen the community by providing opportunities that support lifelong learning, encourage inspiration, imagination, and enjoyment and connect people to each other and to the rest of the world. The Library and its Board of Trustees subscribe to the Library Bill of Rights as promulgated by the American Library Association. This updated policy, upon approval by the Library’s Board of Trustees, supersedes all other versions.
The Library uses LibCal as its tool for requesting, reserving, and confirming meeting room access. The Library encourages those seeking to reserve a meeting room to use this service to minimize confusion.
The Library meeting rooms are available for the benefit of Newport residents, as well as for civic, cultural, educational, and philanthropic nonprofit groups—e.g., a registered 501(c)3 charity—free of charge. The Library especially welcomes the Friends of the Newport Library; municipal, county, state, and federal departments, and their commissions and agencies; also, school departments and the committees dedicated to their administration.
For the purposes of this policy, “individual” refers to the person who reserves a meeting room on behalf of an organization or group and who bears all responsibility for that body. Meeting rooms are not available for one person to use on his or her own; instead, the Library offers a Quiet Study Room in the Reference Department.
Meeting rooms may be reserved by any adult who is 18 years or older. At least one adult 18 years or older must be present at all times and is capable of assuming full supervisory responsibilities.
Meeting room reservations must not interfere with the normal operating procedures of the Library. To ensure that the Library is prepared to host meetings, all room reservations must be approved at least seven days in advance. The Library will not accommodate unscheduled or spontaneous meeting room requests for the Rotary, Stride, or Program Rooms.
The principal use of the meeting rooms is for Library programs. The Library regards its meeting rooms as an amenity for the public that is parallel to the Library’s mission as stated above. The Library maintains the sole right to reserve any room for future use. Its boards, committees, agencies, and programs have priority at all times, extending to the Library’s right to reschedule, reassign, or cancel previously booked rooms.
The Library seeks to grant equality of access at all times. However, use of the meeting rooms in no way implies endorsement of ideas expressed in the meetings or the goals of the organization or group making the reservation. Room requests that are made by individuals for the purpose of dispensing advice on medical, legal, or financial matters will not be granted. Exceptions may be made for governmental agencies whose expertise has been vetted by their established associations.
No organization or group using a meeting room may discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, nation of origin, sex, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
Any organization or group that knowingly misrepresents its purpose through false, misleading, or incomplete statements in order to secure a room reservation will have future room reservations canceled.
Library meeting rooms are to be free and open to the public. No person seeking entry to a meeting may be denied access. Social events (birthday or anniversary parties, bridal or baby showers, retirement parties, memorials, et al.) will not be accommodated.
The Library Director is the agent of the Board of Trustees in whom management of all Library facilities is vested. The Library Director is entrusted with making decisions that are in the best interests of the Library and the community.