Meeting Room Policy and Regulations
Meeting Rooms Overview | Reserve a Meeting Room | Permissible Meetings | Exclusions | Facilities | Parking | Equipment | Hours | Fees | Regulations | Violations | Loss or Damage | Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) | Indemnification of Library | Waiver or Variation Requests | Appeal
MEETING ROOMS OVERVIEW
The Bloomingdale Public Library is aware of the need for meeting space for local groups. Making available such accommodations to the public is an additional service, which the Library may render under conditions set by the Library Board. Permission to use the meeting room does not constitute an endorsement of a group’s policies or beliefs.
Space, staff limitations, and library schedules necessarily require regulatory measures, which affect the use of the meeting room. These rules may be modified for official library functions when deemed appropriate. The Library Board and Library Director reserve the right to deny permission to use the meeting rooms.
RESERVE A MEETING ROOM (FEES APPLY)
Groups will be booked in order of priority and then by date application is received with payment. Standing reservations may be made for a six month period. Bookings will be done semi-annually. For the first six months of the year, assignments will be made by November 15. For the second half of the year, assignments will be made by May 15.
Cancellation of meetings must be made at least twenty-four (24) hours before the scheduled time by notifying the Library Director. The Library reserves the right to cancel meetings for good reason, upon reasonable notification.
Community Groups interested in booking meeting rooms must fill out a Meeting Room Application or submit an online request. Please submit your request through one of the following options:
- In person at our library Business Office between the hours of 9AM-5PM, Monday-Friday
- Fax the completed Meeting Room Application to the Business Office at 630-529-3243
- Email the completed Meeting Room Application to the Business Office at meetingrooms@mybpl.org
- Submit an online request
The use of the meeting room will be assigned by the Library Director in priority order to render use of the facility for the benefit of the greatest number of village residents. Priority for the use of the meeting room will be given in the following order:
1. Library sponsored meetings or programs.
2. Friends of the Library sponsored meetings or programs.
3. Non-profit organization sponsored meetings or programs.
4. Organizations engaged in educational, cultural, intellectual, civic, or charitable activities.
5. Other meetings or programs.
The use of the meeting room for meetings, by the groups and organizations in Categories #3 through #5, above, requires that the meetings must be open to the public and that at least one or more members of the group or organization are residents of the Village of Bloomingdale.
- Commercial groups
- Social or private functions
A meeting is defined as commercial if the group sponsoring or conducting the meeting has as the purpose of the meeting to advertise, promote, or sell a product or service; or to train and motivate its employees; or for any and all other business-related functions such as market research, interviewing applicants, etc.
No admission or donations are to be charged by any group using the meeting room, with the exception of library-sponsored programs for which fees may be charged to defray expenses. No fees may be charged to defray expenses. For the purpose of this section, the term “library-sponsored programs” means meetings or programs in which Library staff or third parties hired by the Library make the presentations, meetings of Library staff and/or volunteers, and meetings or programs presented by the Friends of the Library.
Please refer to the Library's separate policy prohibiting commercial uses of the Library.
The library has three (3) meeting rooms, A, B, C, and one (1) Conference Room available for community use. Rooms A, B, and C are located on the lower level of the library and are wheelchair accessible. Rooms, A, B and C, have carpet floors. The Conference Room is located upstairs by the front door.
Maximum capacity for each room is as follows:
- Room A – 40
- Room B – 40
- Room C – 25
- Rooms A/B- 80
- Conference Room - 10
A kitchen is available for Room A and Room B. The kitchen includes a refrigerator, freezer, microwave, hot plate, coffee maker, serving pots, and warmers. A kitchenette is available for Room C. The kitchenette includes a small refrigerator, coffee maker, serving pots, and warmers.
An additional fee of $5.00 per meeting will be charged for use of the kitchen and if bringing food and/or beverages into the rooms. Food must be pre-approved and listed when applying. Please note that the kitchen and kitchenette are designed to serve prepared food only.
Restrooms are located on the main level and the lower level. The lower level restrooms are wheelchair accessible.
The Library has a 41-space parking lot that includes two handicapped spaces. Overflow parking is permitted in the adjoining Village lots and on the street.
EQUIPMENT
Sound
Rooms A, B, and C have built-in sound systems. Microphones are available for use upon request. Four (4) hearing assistance receivers are available for Rooms A and B.
Audiovisual (Please note this equipment is available for in-house use only)
- Portable LCD Multimedia Projector
- Television with DVD/VCR
- Computer for presentations
- Overhead Projector
- Projector Screen
- Microphones (includes: wired, wireless, desk, lapel and hand)
Other equipment
- Dry Erase Easel
- Flip Chart Easel
- Display Easel
- Podium
Tables
- Ten (10) 6'x 2’*
- Ten (10) 8’ x 36”
- Six (6) 6’x 36”
- Two (2) 6’ x 30”
- One (1) 5’x 30”
- Twelve (12) 33”x 33” game tables
*Tables have cornered components providing a variety of seating arrangements.
HOURS AND CLOSING TIME
The meeting rooms must be vacated fifteen minutes before the Library is closed. All members of a group must be out of the meeting rooms fifteen minutes prior to the designated closing times. Groups must allow time for clean up, etc., so the Library can be secured promptly at the closing times specified below:
- Monday through Thursday - 9:00 PM
- Friday and Saturday - 5:00 PM
- Sunday - 5:00 PM (Mid Sept.-Mid May)
- The Library charges a fee of $10.00 per meeting.*
- An additional fee of $5.00 per meeting will be charged for use of the kitchen and if bringing food and/or beverages into the rooms. Food must be pre-approved and listed when applying.
Fees must accompany the application when submitted to the Library Director for approval. If the application is denied, the fee will be returned.
Should any unusual cleaning need to be done as a result of a group’s use of the Library, a reasonable charge will be made to the group at the current janitorial rate.
After an application is approved, fees are refundable only if the Library cancels a meeting or a meeting must be cancelled due to inclement weather.
*Library, Friends of the Library, and participants of the Bloomingdale Intergovernmental Group (BIG) are excluded.
- An application for meeting room use will include the name of the group; date and times of meetings; nature of meeting; name, address, and telephone number of group contact person; name, address, and signature of the Bloomingdale resident who is a member of the organization or group; number of people attending' and desired equipment needed.
- The Library will provide meeting room set-ups for groups. Requests must be submitted on the Bloomingdale Public Library Meeting Room Set-Up Request Form a minimum of twenty-four (24) hours in advance of the meeting time.
- Library audiovisual equipment is available to groups using the meeting room. The Library will not supply an equipment operator. If instruction in the use of the equipment is necessary, arrangements must be made with the Library Director at least twenty-four (24) hours in advance of meeting time.
- Light refreshments (equivalent to coffee and cookies) may be prepared in the kitchen and kitchenette. The Library Director must approve service of all refreshments. Groups must supply their own coffee, cream, sugar, and paper goods. Each group using the kitchen or kitchenette is responsible for clean up before leaving.
- No food or beverages may be stored in the Library’s refrigerators or freezer other than the day of the scheduled meeting.
- All preparations for refreshments must be made in the kitchen or kitchenette areas, and not in the lobby area or meeting room.
- Smoking is not permitted anywhere in the Library, including all meeting rooms, lobbies, restrooms, etc.
- No alcoholic beverages, drugs, or contraband may be used and/or in possession of on Library premises.
- Decorations must be limited to those items which can stand on the floor or a table, and which conform to fire regulations.
- Nothing may be attached to walls or ceilings of the meeting room other than walls designed for displays. Items may not be left on walls.
- Minors under the age of eighteen (18) may use the meeting room with one adult supervisor, who is at least twenty-one (21) years of age, for each six (6) minors, who will assume complete responsibility for the activities in and condition of the premises.
- Any raffles or gambling conducted by an organization on Library premises must comply with applicable Village of Bloomingdale Ordinances and Statutes of the State of Illinois.
- Use of the name or address of the Library as the official address or headquarters of an organization is prohibited.
- Use of Library telephones for personal calls by members of an organization is not permitted. Library staff will not deliver personal messages to organization members.
- In fairness to all, a single group may not use the meeting room more than once a week.
VIOLATIONS
If a group violates one or more of the above meeting room regulations, the group will receive a written Bloomingdale Public Library Meeting Room Violation Notification. A group will be denied use of the facility upon receiving the third Violation Notice.
LOSS OR DAMAGE
In the case of vandalism, theft, fire, flood, or other natural disaster, the Library is not responsible for loss or damage to the organization’s property stored within the building. However, each organization will promptly pay for any and all damage or injury to or loss of Library property which may occur as a result of the use of the premises.
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT (ADA)
The Library requires all groups or individuals utilizing its meeting room to publish and/or distribute a notice, several weeks prior to the meeting, in substantially the following form:
INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES WHO PLAN TO ATTEND (INSERT TITLE) MEETINGS AND WHO REQUIRE CERTAIN ACCOMMODATIONS TO PARTICIPATE ARE REQUESTED TO CALL (INSERT NAME AND NUMBER) ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING DATE.
INDEMNIFICATION OF LIBRARY
The organization shall agree to indemnify, save harmless and defend the Board of Library Trustees of the Village of Bloomingdale, DuPage County, Illinois, members of the Board of Trustees of the Village of Bloomingdale and their respective officers, agents, and employees from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of action, and liabilities including all costs and reasonable attorney’s fees in any manner caused by, arising from or incident to the organization’s use of the Bloomingdale Public Library’s meeting room and other facilities.
WAIVER OR VARIATION REQUESTS
Requests for waiver or variation of any of the meeting room regulations may be made to the Board of Library Trustees. Requests must be submitted in writing on a Waiver or Variation Request Form available upon request from the Library Director.
APPEAL
A person or group denied permission to use the meeting room may appeal such denial at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Library Trustees. The appeal must be submitted in writing on a Waiver or Variation Request Form available upon request from the Library Director.
The Board of Library Trustees of the Bloomingdale Public Library will review the meeting room policy and regulations periodically, and reserves the right to amend them at any time.
Approved by the Board of Library Trustees - May 2004