Meeting Rooms

Meeting Room

Authorized by: HCML Board of Trustees Effective Date: January 28, 2010

Relevant Forms: Online Registration form Revised Date: March 24, 2022

The Horry County Memorial Library provides meeting rooms in its branch libraries for community use. The following conditions apply:

Approved Uses

Meeting rooms are available for the following uses:

· Library-sponsored or co-sponsored programs

· Meetings of Library card holders in good standing, nonprofit community groups, official government entities (Federal, State, County, and Municipal), and commercial organizations having a place of business in Horry County

Meeting Rooms are not available for the following uses:

· Groups charging fees or asking for donations

· Classes or presentations with direct or indirect promotion of a business, solicitation of clients, tiered marketing, or future costs for attendees

· Social functions including, but not limited to, parties, showers, reunions, wakes, etc.

· Groups promoting illegal acts

· Political campaigns or meetings for specific candidates or specific partisan political issues

· Medical exams or procedures and paid counseling sessions

The Library Manager or designee will approve allowable groups based on this Meeting Room Policy. Library activities shall be given first priority. The Library Manager reserves the right to refuse the use of the rooms, whenever, in the manager’s best judgement, the use does not conform to this policy.

Only Library related groups, either sponsored or cosponsored by the Library, may charge an admission fee or sell a product. Authors are allowed, for example, to sell their titles at Library-sponsored book signings.

Commercial organizations and businesses may book the meeting room to hold training for their own employees. It may not be used by commercial/business groups to offer “education” to the public. For example, a local realtor may not use the meeting room to offer a class on home buying.

Religious groups may book the meeting room but their meetings must be open to all, not just adherents of the booking group’s religion.

Qualifications

Any citizen or organization may reserve the meeting room as long as the following occurs:

· The citizen or a representative of the group must complete the Meeting Room Registration Form before a room can be reserved. The form must be completed and signed by a responsible adult who is at least 18 years old and has an active Library account in good standing.

· Only persons listed on the form will be able to schedule the room.

· A new form must be completed each calendar year and whenever contact information changes.

· The program or activity shall be open to public participation. Closed meetings are not permitted.

· No fee or donation may be charged or solicited for the meeting, subsequent meetings, materials, or services.

· Any meeting with individuals under the age of 18 in attendance must have at least one responsible adult present in the meeting room for every 15 persons younger than 18 years of age.

· The registering person or alternate contact must be in attendance during the entire program.

Promotion

· All advertisement for activities held in a Library meeting room must clearly identify the sponsor by name and may only use the name of the Library to identify the meeting location.

· The Library’s logo may not be used on any promotional materials to imply Library sponsorship.

· Neither the name nor address of any location in the Horry County Memorial Library System may be used as the official address of an organization.

· The Library does not promote non-Library sponsored meeting room bookings.

· The Library must not be tagged as a sponsor on Facebook for any non-Library sponsored uses of the meeting room.

· The Library will not keep a signup of attendees for non-Library sponsored meeting room use.

· Signs or promotional material for non-Library sponsored meetings will not be displayed in Library locations.

Availability

· Reservations will be on a first come, first served basis upon submission of a Meeting Room Registration form.

· The Library meeting rooms are available only during scheduled Library hours of operation. Meetings must adjourn 15 minutes before the Library closes.

· Space may be reserved up to 2 months in advance. For example, in August a group may reserve a room for August, September, and/or October.

· Since Library programs take precedence, staff may block out times for Library purposes a year in advance.

· Library managers may block out times of the week for no meeting room use due to congestion/parking problems and may designate a parking area for meeting room attendees.

· Only Library staff may schedule bookings for the meeting room. Friends’ members must go to branch staff for any scheduling.

· The Library reserves the right to cancel reservations for unexpected Library needs or closures.

Setup

· Setup is the responsibility of the group using the meeting room. Physical arrangement of the meeting room is not guaranteed. Neither can the availability of furniture or equipment be guaranteed.

· Meeting room setup must not block fire exits and must adhere to all fire/safety regulations.

· No candles or other incendiary materials may be lit or burned.

· Furniture must be restored to original positions by the group using the meeting room.

· No material of any kind may be posted directly on the walls or doorways of the meeting room, or the walls outside of the room.

· The registered person who books the meeting room assumes all liability for damages to Library facilities and equipment.

Attendees

· All attendees must comply with the Library’s Code of Conduct.

· Minors must be supervised by adults at all times.

· Attendance is limited to the legal capacity of the room. The legal capacities of the rooms are:

o Aynor: 30

o Bucksport: 15

o Carolina Forest: 80

o Conway: 70

o Green Sea Floyds: 15

o Little River: 30

o Loris: 40

o North Myrtle Beach: 80

o Socastee: 50

o Surfside Beach: 80

· Programs involving physical activity or food may require waivers on the part of the applicant.

Cleanup

· Library facilities must be left in a clean and orderly fashion. The Library does not provide staff or cleaning service for meetings.

· The Library is not responsible for items left in its facilities. Storage space is not available.

· Furniture and equipment must be restored to original positions by the group using the meeting room.

· The lights should be turned off.

· The Library staff should be informed the meeting was adjourned and the number of people who attended the meeting.

Equipment

· Limited Library equipment may be available for use in meetings.

· The group must make advance arrangements for any audio visual equipment they may require.

· Any needed office supplies must be provided by the group.

Refreshments

· Only light refreshments are allowed, but the registering cardholder should check on the availability of kitchen facilities at the desired location.

· No alcoholic beverages are permitted.

· No smoking is permitted in the Library or any other Horry County Government building.

Accountability

· Noncompliance with Library Policy may result in the denial of future requests for Meeting Room use.

· The Library Manager may revoke meeting room privileges to individuals or groups who repeatedly do not show up for scheduled meetings.

· The Library Manager may ask for further information to verify the identity and purpose of groups.

· The Library Manager reserves the right to see proof of a group’s nonprofit status.

Disclaimer

· The Library is not responsible for any equipment, supplies, materials, or other items owned by the group or the individuals and used in the Library.

· The granting of permission to use Library facilities does not constitute an endorsement of the group’s objectives or beliefs.

The Library Director is responsible for the establishment and administration of this policy.