It is the policy of the Oconee Regional Library system to provide meeting rooms for public use where available. The library meeting rooms are primarily for library purposes and the library reserves the right to change a group's meeting to another room or time if library use is unexpectedly required. Meeting rooms are available for use by groups meeting for educational, civic, or cultural purposes or government entities, consistent with the "purpose" of the Library as listed in the Oconee Regional Library Constitution. In accepting reservations for use of library meeting rooms, the library will not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, age, or sex.
Rooms must be reserved by individuals at least 18 years of age, and any extra cleaning, damage repair, or other room abuse will be charged to the responsible party.
Patrons and groups may lose meeting room privileges for improper room/equipment use or library behavior. Patrons and groups whose meeting/equipment use privileges have been lost shall have the right to appeal and/or request that meeting room use privileges be reinstated. An appeal must be in writing and submitted to the Regional Director within five days of the termination or prohibition. Within ten days of receipt of the appeal, the Regional Director shall review the matter and notify the patron in writing of his/her decision. If the Regional Director's decision is adverse to the patron, he/she may appeal in writing within five days to the Regional Library Board of Trustees, which shall thereafter consider the matter based on the written record and issue its decision in writing within 30 days of receipt. No further appeals shall be considered. These decisions will be implemented at all Oconee Regional Library System facilities.
If a patron or group has lost library room/equipment privileges, they may appeal in writing to the Regional Director once every 5 years. The prohibition may be extended or suspended upon decision of the Regional Director.
Smoking is not allowed in any library facility.
No alcohol is permitted in any library facility.
The Oconee Regional Library has adopted a "No Solicitation Policy" within its premises by the public or staff. There shall be no solicitation of the public or staff on library property. Patrons (individuals or groups) using public meeting rooms are not permitted to solicit funds or anything else on library premises before, during or after the meetings. For purposes of this policy, solicitation is defined as efforts by an individual or representatives of an organization to (1) ask for, seek, or entreat library users or the general public to make monetary contributions; (2) approach library users or the general public to enroll them as members, to sign petitions, or to answer questionnaires; and (3) offer for sale any item, product, or service not a part or element of the work or program of the library. An exemption to this policy is automatically granted at any event sponsored by any library within the Oconee Regional Library System.
Only the library, its funding bodies and library-related (sponsored) groups are permitted to use the library facilities after hours. Equipment shall not be loaned out of library buildings.
Any exceptions to this policy will be at the discretion of the Oconee Regional Library Director or Library Manager.
Meeting Room Policy Amended 2/27/07