Skip to main content
Home > Request a Room > PRCLS Meeting Room Policy

Free Vectors | PDF iconDownload a printable PDF here.

Meeting Room Policy 

To ensure that Pearl River County Library System (PRCLS) meeting rooms remain conducive to collaboration, learning, and engagement, this policy has been established to outline their appropriate use. This policy is designed to maintain a welcoming environment for all patrons. PRCLS offers meeting rooms at no cost to the public for purposes such as education, culture, intellectual discourse, advocacy, or civic engagement, provided they do not conflict with library activities. In alignment with the Library Bill of Rights, PRCLS ensures that its meeting rooms are available to the public on an equitable basis irrespective of race, color, creed, beliefs, or affiliations. PRCLS’s provision of meeting rooms does not signify endorsement of the ideas expressed in meetings, nor of the goals, objectives, or ideals of the individuals or organizations utilizing library facilities.  

Patrons interested in utilizing a meeting room must adhere to the following regulations and restrictions. Failure to follow these and other library policies may be cause for denial of meeting room usage. 

 

Reservation Information

  1. Meeting rooms are available without charge for qualifying individuals or groups. 
  2. All requests are reviewed in the sequence they are submitted. 
  3. A representative (18 years of age or older) of the group utilizing the meeting room must sign a Policy Acceptance statement or submit a digital agreement. 
  4. Event and meeting reservations can be made for up to 4 hours. 
    • Groups will be granted access to meeting rooms 30 minutes before and after the scheduled event for setup and breakdown. 
    • Any additional time needed for set up and breakdown must be accommodated within the 4-hour time slot. 
    • Any group that arrives late to their event will not be granted additional time. 
  5. Recurring reservations may be submitted up to 6 months in advance. 
  6. To accommodate the high usage of meeting rooms, recurring reservations are limited to 4 events per organization per month.  
  7. A rental bag, which consists of a Rental Form, Meeting Room Policy, and keys, must be picked up at the library circulation desk. Once the event has concluded, and the room has been cleaned and reset, the renter’s bag must be returned with all its contents and with all forms completed.   
    • If a meeting begins outside of regular library hours, the event representative must retrieve the rental bag from the library circulation desk beforehand. Groups arriving outside of normal library hours without a key will not be allowed entry. 
    • Groups meeting outside of normal library hours can deposit the rental bag in the book drop(s) at either branch. 
  8. Community Partnerships (as designated by the PRCLS Board of Trustees), Friends of the PRCLS Libraries, and government entities are omitted from recurrence and hourly use restrictions. 
  9. Library-sponsored programs and government functions, such as public elections, are given priority when scheduling meeting rooms. 
  10. A rental agreement, though confirmed, may be cancelled by the library in the event of a priority scheduling conflict, building maintenance, inclement weather, or natural disaster. PRCLS reserves the right to cancel reservations for cause at the discretion of the PRCLS Director or Branch Manager. The library will provide as much notice as possible in the event of cancellations and rescheduling. 

 

Restrictions

  1. Events held in library meeting rooms must be free and open to the public. Events must be promoted to the media as such.  
  2. No private parties or functions are permitted in library meeting rooms, even if they are ostensibly “open to the public.” Examples include birthday parties, wedding/baby showers, etcetera. 
  3. Publicity is the responsibility of the individual or organization in charge of the event. Groups may not publish the library’s phone number as a direct contact for the organization or the meeting. Library staff are unable to deliver messages or packages to event organizers or participants. 
  4. No buying or selling of products or services is permitted on library property, except in support of the library, unless prior approval from the Library Director has been granted. 
  5. Events involving youth under 18 must have an adult sponsor attending the event. Children under twelve 12 years old must be accompanied by a parent or responsible caregiver that must remain on the premises for the event. 
  6. Events held in library facilities should not interfere with regular library operations. The library retains the authority to stop any event that creates a disturbance. Groups causing disruptions may be restricted from using the meeting rooms in the future. 
  7. Renters are responsible for cleaning any mess that their event creates. Groups that leave meeting rooms in poor condition will be notified that a repeated offence may result in event cancellation and prohibition of future events. A custodial fee may be assessed if necessary. 
  8. The library can furnish a limited number of tables and chairs for meetings or events. The library cannot provide staff to set up or arrange furniture. Setting up and returning the room to its original configuration after events is the sole responsibility of the renting group. 
  9. Once the meeting has concluded, meeting rooms must be restored to the library branch’s specified default configuration. Please review the branch rental form for the meeting room’s default configuration. 
  10. A resetting fee will be charged to any group that fails to restore meeting rooms to their default configuration. 
  11. Group representatives are responsible for the repair costs due to damages caused to furniture, equipment, or facility during the meeting or event. Similarly, renters are responsible for the replacement cost(s) of missing equipment. 
  12. Storage of items necessary for events is prohibited unless authorized by the Library Director or Branch Manager. The library will not be responsible for any equipment, supplies, materials, or other items owned by a group.   
  13. The library is not responsible for loss, damage, or injury sustained by any individual(s) using its facilities. 

 

Fees

  $25 

    if alarm in not properly disabled upon entry or reset when exiting. A sounding       alarm will alert the police and/or library staff to investigate.

$5 

    if the key is not picked up or returned on time.

$5 

    if a fee is not paid on time and a bill must be sent.

$10 

    if chairs need to be moved, room arranged, or room is left in disorder.

Cost 

    for cleaning, repair, or equipment replacement.

 

Policies and decisions concerning library meeting rooms may be appealed to the Pearl River County Library System Board of Trustees at its next regularly scheduled meeting. 

  • Amended 21 August 2012
  • Amended 17 September 2024
Skip to content