Meeting Rooms Application Form

MEETING ROOM POLICY & APPLICATION FORM

Current room limits for meeting rooms are limited to 17 people in the Bay Room and 60 people in the Hermann Room. The Trustees Room is not available at this time.

Please read the Library’s Policy below before submitting your application.

 If you need help with your form, please call 508-457-2555 x2963.


The Board of Trustees of the Falmouth Public Library welcomes the use of Library meeting rooms and external spaces/grounds by civic, cultural, charitable, and educational groups and organizations having a substantial relationship with the Falmouth community.

Use of meeting rooms and external space/grounds for Library purposes shall take precedence over all other uses.

The Library shall not discriminate on the basis of the political or religious beliefs of applicant groups, or on any other constitutionally or statutorily-prohibited basis.

The portion of the grounds of the lawn at the Main Library that is maintained as a memorial to local veterans who have died in the service of their country is excluded from use. This area includes the Memorial Lane sidewalk and extends 55’ (fifty-five feet) to either side, the monument area and their planting areas. The boundaries of this area must be respected. A map is available for use by interested applicants.

All programs shall be open and free of charge to the public.  No admission charge, request for donation or items for sale are permitted. Meeting rooms and grounds shall not be used for entrepreneurial or commercial purposes, for solicitation of business, for profit or for fundraising other than fundraising that supports the Library, unless specifically permitted by the Board of Library Trustees. No goods or services shall be promoted, sold or exchanged upon the premises or by sample, pictures, or descriptions unless specifically permitted by the Board of Library Trustees.

Reservations for meeting room space are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Library–sponsored meeting room use has priority and the Falmouth Public Library reserves the right to preempt any scheduled meeting or program. The Library will give every effort to give advance notices of such preemption.

Reservations for meetings of organizations, clubs, and similar groups may be made one (1) month in advance. Due to high demand for meeting room space, no group may consider the Library its permanent meeting place or use the Library as its mailing address. To promote the accessibility of the meeting rooms to a wide variety of community groups, the Library may limit meetings for any particular organization.

Applications may be made more than one month in advance for organizations wishing to host large events which include speakers and/or presentations and that are open to the public. Applications are approved on a space available basis.

At the Director’s discretion, exceptions to these restrictions may be made for educational programs that benefit the community.

Use of meeting rooms and grounds for Library and Town or other governmental agency internal operational activities, i.e. staff training, collective bargaining, and similar activities will be scheduled on a space-available basis.

Meeting rooms shall not be used for political campaigns or rallies.

Permission to use a Library meeting room and/or grounds does not constitute or imply Library endorsement of the aims, policies or activities of any group or organization, or the views expressed in the meeting.

Groups using Library meeting rooms and/or grounds may 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.


The Trustees of the Falmouth Public Library or their designee reserve the right to reject a reservation request or cancel a reservation if the anticipated use is likely to be unreasonably disruptive to regular library functions, too large for the applicable room or grounds capacity, disorderly, dangerous to persons or property or in any other way inconsistent with or in contravention of any of the terms and conditions of this policy , impede Library staff in the performance of their duties, or endanger the Library building or collection or grounds.  In determining whether such a likelihood exists, the Board of Library Trustees or their designee may take into consideration the contents of the application form, the history of the group’s use of Library spaces, the history of the group’s use of facilities elsewhere, and such other information as they may deem appropriate.

The Trustees of the Falmouth Public Library reserve the right to determine, in their reasonable discretion, whether any proposed use of a meeting room or of library grounds will require a police detail or other extraordinary police protection, and if so the anticipated costs.  In making this determination, the Board of Library Trustees may take into consideration the contents of the application form, the history of the group’s use of Library spaces, the history of the group’s use of facilities elsewhere, and such other information as such Board may deem appropriate, and may consult with the Chief of Police or his designee.  If the Board of Library Trustees determines that such police protection will be reasonably necessary, the group seeking to reserve the use of a meeting room shall be required, as a condition of such a reservation, to pay for the police detail.

Indemnification and Insurance

The Board of Library Trustees reserves the right to require that the applicant supply a certificate of insurance from an insurer licensed to do business in Massachusetts, in such amount and in such form as the Board may reasonably deem appropriate, naming the Board as additional insured, and covering damage to the library building, grounds, and collections, and injury to persons or their property arising from the event.

The Falmouth Public Library Board of Trustees delegates the authority to the Library Director or his/her designee to develop and implement procedures which carry out the provision of this policy. Exceptions to the policy may be granted only by the Falmouth Public Library Board of Trustees or its delegate.

Available Meeting Rooms and Occupancy Limits

Hermann Foundation Meeting Room   60 people
Bay Room     17 people
Trustees’ Conference Room  unavailable at this time

The North and East Branches of the Falmouth Public Library do not have public meeting spaces available.

Available Grounds Space:

Main Library Lawn (Please note the exception of the area of the grounds that are maintained as a memorial to Veterans)       

East Falmouth Branch Library

North Falmouth Branch Library

Reservations

Reservations for use of the meeting rooms are made on the Library’s application form, and must be completed and submitted prior to the requested use date. Use of space is not guaranteed until a confirmation of the application is received. Reservations shall be accepted, subject to the provisions of this policy, in the order received.  Failure to notify the Library of cancellations may result in forfeiture of future bookings. All meeting room reservations are subject to the discretion of the Library Administration.

Rules for Use

Light refreshments (i.e. coffee and finger foods) may be served in the meeting rooms, no cooking or food preparation is allowed on site.  The applicant is responsible for reasonable care of the room and is obliged to leave the room in a clean and orderly condition. The applicant will be held responsible for any damages.

No smoking is allowed.

No alcoholic beverages are allowed.

The applicant is responsible for supervision of all children.

The applicant may not tape or tack anything to walls or doors.

The Library is unable to provide storage for any group or organization.

No person shall be excluded from attendance except in order to comply with the occupancy limit applicable to the meeting room or because their presence may negatively impact the health, welfare, and/or safety of others.

All persons attending a program or meeting in a meeting room or on library grounds shall comply with all requests by Library staff and, if applicable, the Falmouth Police and Fire Departments.  Failure to comply with the above will result in loss of meeting room privileges.

Organizations shall, at their own expense, procure any license or permit necessary for the conduct of their program or meetings.

Organizations requesting use of the Library grounds must coordinate all proposed events with the Falmouth Department of Public Works at the time the reservation request is submitted to the Library. Organizations must obtain all necessary permits and supply the Library with copies of such permits prior to use of the Grounds. This includes, but is not limited to, obtaining a tent permit and contacting Dig Safe.

The Town of Falmouth, the Trustees of the Library, and Library employees assume no responsibility for theft, loss or damage to any property of any group, individual or organization using library facilities and grounds.

Groups reserving meeting rooms or library grounds assume full responsibility for providing and paying for any special accommodations that are requested/required by participants in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Hours, Fees, and Special Equipment

The meeting rooms are available Monday through Friday from 9:30AM to 10PM, and Saturday until 5:00PM. Meetings after hours are at the discretion of the Library Director.

In the event Police and Fire Department response occurs due to entry into restricted areas of the building, the organization holding the meeting will be held responsible for any costs incurred.

If an organization wants to use the rooms after hours, a representative must check out a key on his or her library card, and return the key via the Book Drop that night after the meeting.  Failure to return the key will incur replacement costs as well as loss of future meeting room privileges.

There is no charge for meeting room use.  However, a donation to support the Falmouth Public Library is appreciated.

Organizations planning to use the library audio-visual or other specialized equipment should contact the Information Systems Librarian, at 508-457-2555 ext. 2941 in advance of the meeting. AV support may not always be available at the time of the meeting.

Organizations may identify the Library and provide its address in their publicity for the meeting, but may not give out the Library’s telephone number or invite potential attendees to contact the Library.  Failure to comply may result in forfeiture of approval to use the meeting rooms.

Requirements for Room Reservations

All organizations requesting the use of any meeting room or library grounds shall complete, submit and, at the request of the Library staff, update an application on a form approved by the Board of Library Trustees. 

Reservations shall be made through the office of the Library Director, or its designee.  No group may reserve or use any meeting room or library grounds unless it complies in all respects with the provisions of the Meeting Room & External Spaces/Grounds Use Policy, and submits, in fully executed form, the application and indemnification agreement called for in the policy, and permits, and other required documents as required pursuant hereto.  No reservation application shall be deemed complete until a confirmation from the Library is received.

Any false, misleading or incomplete statement on the application form shall be grounds to forbid the use of the associated Library property by the applicant.

Exceptions

Exceptions to this policy may be made at the discretion of the Board of Trustees.  If an organization wishes any exceptions to this policy, they must arrange to meet with the Board of Trustees.


Attachment:  Indemnification and Insurance

Meeting Room Policy

Falmouth Public Library

All groups using any of the meeting rooms and library grounds shall execute and deliver a written undertaking in a form to be prescribed by the Board of Library Trustees by which such groups shall agree to hold the Board of Library Trustees, and the Town of Falmouth, and all Library staff, harmless from and to defend and indemnify them against all costs, damages, losses, claims, and expenses incurred, directly or indirectly, as a result of such group’s use of a meeting room or external grounds area.  Such costs, damages, losses, claims, and expenses shall include, without limitation, any damage to the meeting room or any other part of the Library building, grounds or collection; the costs of employee overtime, if occasioned by the use of the meeting room; the cost of police protection, if deemed necessary by the Board of Library Trustees; and any claim asserted by any third person against the Board of Library Trustees, the Town of Falmouth, and/or any Library staff on account of any alleged injury causally related to the meeting, together with defense costs including reasonable attorneys’ fees.

The said written undertaking shall also constitute a release by the group and each and all of its members of any claim against the Board of Library Trustees, the Town of Falmouth and the Library staff for any injury to persons or damage to property suffered by such group or any of its members during or as a result of the use of the meeting room or library grounds, except insofar as such injury or damage is directly and solely caused by negligence or intentional misconduct of any person belonging to or acting on behalf of the Board of Library Trustees, the town government of the Town of Falmouth or the Library staff.

The Board of Library Trustees reserves the right to require any applicant group to supply a certificate of insurance, from an insurer licensed to do business in Massachusetts, in such amount and in such form as the Board of Library Trustees may reasonably deem appropriate, such amount of at least $1,000,000. bodily injury and property damage liability, single limit with $3,000,000. annual aggregate limit, naming the Board of Library Trustees as an additional insured, and covering damage to the Library building, grounds and collection and injury to persons occasioned by the meeting.  Such certificate shall evidence that the insurance it represents is not cancelable except on at least ten (10) days’ written notice to the Board of Library Trustees.  In the event of such cancellation, the meeting reservation shall be canceled unless the group forthwith substitutes a new insurance certificate meeting the aforesaid requirements.

Approved Board of Trustees: Aug 2003, Dec 2005, Mar 2008, May 2009, Dec 2010,  July 2016     The Falmouth Public Library Board of Trustees reserves the right to alter, amend, or terminate this policy.

Meeting Room Application