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Meeting Room Policy

The Austin Public Library welcomes public use of its meeting facilities in keeping with the Library’s mission “to provide open access to information and to promote literacy, love of reading, and lifelong learning opportunities for all members of the community.”

The Meeting Room Policy establishes guidelines and procedures for the use of the Library's meeting facilities. The librarian in charge of the building where the meeting room(s) is located is responsible for implementing this policy and for maintaining reservation lists.

General Guidelines

• Meeting rooms at the Austin Public Library are designed to meet general informational, educational, cultural, and civic needs including activities such as discussion groups, panels, lectures, conferences, seminars, exhibits, displays, storytimes, puppet shows, and films.
• To be eligible to use a meeting room, any group or organization must be nonprofit and should include three or more individuals.
• There is no charge for meeting room use.
• Use of the Library's meeting rooms does not constitute Library or City of Austin endorsement of viewpoints expressed by participants in the program. Advertisements or announcements implying such endorsement are not permitted.
• All activities held in the Library's meeting rooms must be open to everyone.
• Solicitation, admission or other charges, money-raising activities, and/or sales are not allowed.
• Meeting rooms may not be used for social gatherings such as showers, birthday parties, dances, etc.
• Meeting rooms may not be used for religious services or political rallies, caucuses, or campaigns for specific partisan political issues or candidates (religious study groups and political forums are permitted).
• All meeting rooms must be completely vacated prior to the Library's closing time. Exact times may vary by location.
• City or Library needs may preempt any other scheduled event.
• Smoking and alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

Reservations

Requests for use of a meeting room may be made in person, by telephone, or in writing. Requests will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis.

• When making a reservation, please provide:
  1. Name of organization
  2. Name, address, and telephone number of the responsible person
  3. Total number of persons expected to attend
• Reservations are accepted up to one year in advance.
• To provide an opportunity for all groups to use the meeting rooms, a group may use a meeting room only once each month, and may reserve only one meeting room for use at the same time.
• Notice of cancellation should be made as soon as possible. After 30 minutes a group may forfeit its reservation if it fails to appear as scheduled.
• If a group fails to show for two meetings in a row and does not call to cancel, all future reservations are forfeited until the group calls to reschedule.
• Meetings will not be scheduled before or after Library hours. Group representatives may not enter Library buildings, nor will deliveries be accepted, before the regular opening time.
• Groups may not assign their reservations to other groups.

Care and Use of Facilities

• Please leave meeting rooms as they are found. If the furniture is rearranged, it should be returned to the original arrangement at the end of the meeting. The Library cannot supply AV or other equipment.
• Furniture and/or equipment from the main area of the Library may not be brought into meeting rooms.
• Personal furniture or equipment may be provided by a group with prior approval. Arrangements for the use of any personal furniture or equipment should be made at scheduling time. In order to ensure easy removal of equipment after the meeting, the appropriate staff member (either Library Security or the Branch Librarian) should be notified when the equipment is brought into the building.
• Equipment, supplies, or personal effects cannot be stored or left in Library meeting rooms before or after use.
• Keep all exits unlocked at all times. Open aisles must be maintained within the seating arrangement to provide clear access to exits.
• Public entrances are to be used for entrance to and exit from the building, and for all deliveries.
• Any announcements or notices to publicize an activity should not be posted or distributed without prior approval from the librarian in charge.
• Attendance at meetings will be limited to the capacity of the individual meeting rooms as listed at the end of this policy. Seating and/or supplementary furniture are not allowed in corridors outside the meeting rooms.

All food brought into any meeting rooms for consumption by participants must conform to the Austin/Travis County Health Department's “Temporary Food Service Requirements For Event Organizers” and may require a “Temporary Food Event Permit”. It is the responsibility of the meeting/event organizers to abide by these requirements and obtain any needed permit for display at the library location on the day and time of the event. Violation of any requirement or failure to obtain a necessary permit may result in immediate closure of the meeting/event and may also result in Health Department penalties. Requirements and Permit forms may be obtained from the Austin/Travis County Health & Human Services Department Environmental & Consumer Health Unit. The Austin Public Library and the City of Austin accept no responsibility for the compliance of these requirements by groups reserving the library's meeting rooms.

Kitchen facilities or equipment will not be provided by the Library. (Minimal kitchen facilities are available at Carver Branch and the Austin History Center with permission from the librarian in charge.)

• All trash resulting from the serving of refreshments must be removed by the organization.
• The individual making the reservation, as well as the membership of the group as a whole, will be held responsible for any and all damages that may occur as a result of the use of the facilities.
• Permission to use Library meeting rooms may be withheld from groups failing to comply with the Meeting Room Policy and from any group that damages the room, carpet, equipment, or furniture, or causes a disturbance.

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request.

Questions which are not covered in this policy should be addressed to Library Administration, 512-974-7449. To discuss exceptions to this policy, please ask the librarian in charge of the building where the meeting room is located.

Available Meeting Facilities and Capacities

Austin History Center (512-974-7557)
Reception Room - 62
Minimal kitchen facilities are available with permission from librarian in charge.
Additional policies may apply due to the historical nature of the Austin History Center's building and furnishings.

Carver Branch (512-974-1010)
Auditorium\Conference Rooms - 60
(can be divided into 3 rooms, seating 20 each or 2 rooms, seating 30)
Minimal kitchen facilities are available with permission from librarian in charge.
Meeting Room - 25

Cepeda Branch (512-974-7372)
Meeting Room - 25

Hampton Branch at Oak Hill (512-892-6680)
Meeting Room - 70
Conference Room - 17

Howson Branch (512-472-3584)
Meeting Room - 45

Little Walnut Creek Branch (512-836-8975)
Meeting Room - 50

Manchaca Road Branch (512-447-6651)
Meeting Room - 60

Milwood Branch (512-339-2355)
Large Meeting Room - 50

North Village Branch (512-458-2239)
Meeting Room - 25

Oak Springs Branch (512-926-4453)
Auditorium - 30

Old Quarry Branch (512-345-4435)
Auditorium - 80

Pleasant Hill Branch (512-974-3940)
Conference Room - 20

Ruiz Branch (512-974-7500)
Meeting Room - 77 (can be divided into 2 meeting rooms, each seating 39)

Southeast Austin Community Branch (512-462-1452)
Meeting Room - 40
Conference Room - 25

Spicewood Springs Branch (512-974-3800)
Auditorium - 65

Terrazas Branch (512-974-3625)
Meeting Room - 30

Twin Oaks Branch (512-442-4664)
Meeting Room - 34

University Hills Branch (512-929-0551)
Auditorium - 80
Conference Room - 15

Windsor Park Branch (512-928-0333)
Meeting Room - 20