HomeMy WebLinkAbout(2001, 05/08) - I-21 - AmendedCENTRAL LIBRARY FRIENDS MEETING ROOM
BACKGROUND
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The large meeting room in the Newport Beach Central Library is known as the Friends
Meeting Room (Friends Room). The Library Board of Trustees and the Community
Services Department (Department) administer the Library and the Friends Room. The
Friends Room is the primary source of meeting space for library programs and
activities. The City has a shortage of large meeting space and City officers and
employees frequently need to use the Friends Room for City business on very short
notice. Moreover, public use of the Friends Room takes library staff away from their
normal duties and can, if uncontrolled, interfere with the public's use and enjoyment of
the library. The City needs to limit the amount and timing of the use of the Friends
Room by other than Library and City officials and employees to protect the public
interest.
APPLICATION
This Policy shall not apply to use of the Friends Room for Library or Library sponsored
activities and programs and City or City sponsored activities and programs. The
Library staff, the Board of Library Trustees, the City and its officers and employees and
the Friends of the Library and Library Foundation when used for programs and
activities directly related to Library functions and purposes; shall be entitled to use the
Friends Room at any time subject only to confirming availability with the Department
Director.
PURPOSE
The purpose of this Policy is to establish:
A. Procedures for processing and approving or disapproving requests from private
persons, groups or organizations for permission to use the Friends Room;
B. Priorities for the use of the Friends Room to ensure its availability to the City and
its officers and employees and to resolve any conflict related to requests for use
by others; and
C. Standards and criteria for the use of the Friends Room to ensure there is no
conflict with the public's use of the Central Library and no significant impact on
the workload of Department staff.
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PROCEDURE
Any person, group or entity seeking permission to use the Friends Room (applicant)
shall submit an application on the form provided by the Department. The applicant
shall provide all information requested in the application and such additional
information as may reasonably be required by the Department Director to enable
him /her to determine if use by the applicant will comply with this Policy. Applications
shall not be considered complete unless accompanied by required fees and proof of
insurance. No person, group or entity shall be entitled to use of the Friends Room
unless their application has been approved by the Department Director or his /her
designee. No application shall be approved within one year after the applicant's failure
to comply with the standard conditions of use or any special conditions imposed by the
Department Director. No application shall be approved until the applicant establishes
that any fees, donations or admissions charged for use of the Friends Room will be for
non -profit fundraising purposes or limited to defraying the actual costs and expenses of
the activity or program for which the application is submitted.
STANDARD CONDITIONS TO USE
Applications for use of the Friends Room are approved subject to permittee's •
compliance with the following standard conditions to use:
A. The use of alcoholic beverages is prohibited unless expressly approved in writing
by the Director and subject to the approval of the Alcoholic Beverage Control
Board.
B. Smoking is prohibited in the Friends Room, and the entire Library facility,
including restrooms.
C. At least one (1) adult shall be present in the Friends Room for every twenty (20)
minors in attendance. Each adult necessary to maintain the required
adult /minor ratio shall remain in the Friends Room for the duration of the
permitted use.
D. No person shaII interfere with the normal use and activities of the Library by
way of noise, disturbance or other activity.
E. Groups of one hundred (100) or more persons shall be required to provide proof
of off -site parking availability (off -site parking plan) prior to approval of the
application and shall strictly comply with the parking plan. •
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F. Meetings or activities conducted at the Friends Room may not be advertised or
promoted as City or Library sponsored activities. All materials used for
advertising or announcing a meeting Qr activity to be conducted at the Friends
Room shall be submitted to the Department Director at least ten (10) days prior
to the use for the sole purpose of determining if the material complies with this
condition. The Department Director shall notify the permittee of his /her
determination that the material complies or does not comply with the condition
within two business days after submittal.
G. Meetings or activities in the Friends Room shall not exceed 150 persons.
H. The Friends Room shall not be used for private social functions such as
weddings, music rehearsals, etc. unless rehearsals are necessary as part of a
Library or City sponsored public concert, or production which is scheduled to be
performed in the Friends Room.
1. Use of the Friends Room is limited to 9:15 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through
Thursday and 9:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday through Saturday.
J. The provision of insurance, naming the City and its officers and employees as
additional insureds, providing coverage in the amount of not less than $1,000,000
for any claim, loss, injury, damage or other casualty that is in any way related to
the use and /or occupancy of the Friends Room by the permittee authorized to
use the Friends Room pursuant to this Policy.
K. The agreement of the permittee to defend, indemnify and hold harmless the City
and its officers and employees with respect to any claim, loss, or injury that
arises out of, or is in any way related to permittee s use and occupancy of the
Friends Room.
L. Applications for reservations may be made no more than 90 days in advance and
no more than once every 90 days.
PRIORITIES OF USE
A. FIRST PRIORITY
1. Any official Newport Beach Public Library co- sponsored and /or
conducted programs and activities that are directly related to library
functions and purposes.
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2. Any meeting or activity conducted by any organization of which the City
is a member and whose purpose is consistent with the educational and
informational function of the Library.
SECOND PRIORITY
Use of the Friends Room may be granted by the Department Director to those
persons, organizations or entities listed below on a first come first serve basis:
1. Sponsored educational or informational programs and activities of other
state or local public agencies such as local public schools or special
districts.
2. Recreational, social or civic organizations and /or groups that are
promoted and sponsored by City residents or City non - profit
organizations that are open to the public and have fifty percent (50 %) or
more of memberships consisting of Newport Beach residents.
3. Recreational, social or civic organizations and /or groups that are non- •
resident promoted and sponsored by non - profit organizations that are
open to the public, but do not qualify under B.2.
4. Schools, colleges, hospitals or other similar civic groups not qualifying
under the definition of non - profit. Non - profit status is defined as an
organization that is so defined by the Internal Revenue Service Section
501C3 and has a state of California Tax Identification Number.
FEES, DEPOSITS AND CANCELLATION PROCEDURES
Fees may be charged for the use of the Friends Room. Fees shall be established by
Resolution of and periodically adjusted by the City Council on the recommendation of
the Board of Library Trustees. Fees shall be limited to an amount necessary to defray
the costs associated with the administration of this policy and the maintenance and
repair associated with the public's use of the Friends Room.
Adopted - July 14,1980
Amended - November 28,1988
Amended - October 28,1988
Formerly 0-1
Amended - February 27,1995
Amended - February 24,1997
Amended - May 8, 2001