The Otsego County Library provides community meeting rooms for the instructional, recreational, and research needs of the Library and the Otsego County community. Groups and organizations may use meeting rooms when they are not needed for activities sponsored by the Library. Use of Library facilities by groups and organizations not affiliated with the Library or its official support organizations is restricted to the community meeting rooms including the main floor Multi-Purpose Room and the Upper Level Meeting Rooms A/B, Kitchen, and Archives. No group may use the meeting rooms in a way that would be disruptive. Permission to use the meeting rooms does not imply Library endorsement of the goals, policies, or activities of any group or organization. The Library reserves the right to revoke permission previously granted if deemed necessary.
Information regarding the policy for use of meeting rooms will be available to the public. This policy does not guarantee the applicant the facility or the time requested.
Permission to use the Library’s meeting rooms may be granted to Otsego County based civic, cultural, and educational organizations, or to locally-operating government agencies, departments or commissions. To qualify as an Otsego County based group, organization or business, the group leader or applicant must submit proof of address or photo identification card at the time of application. Organizations not located in Otsego County must submit proof of regular operation or programs within Otsego County such as sample brochures, newsletters, or web site printouts.
Any group or organization applying for room use must sign a statement that their organization does not discriminate in membership or in service provision, on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, political affiliation, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, or disability, or in employment on a basis prohibited by Michigan law. They must also fully release and discharge the Library, its administration, and all other staff from any and all claims from injuries, including death, damages or loss, which may be alleged to have arisen out of, or in connection with, the meeting.
Applications for use of the meeting rooms will be made available on the Library’s web site and at the Library information desk, and will be approved by the Library Director or an authorized representative according to the following priorities:
- Library sponsored or related meetings, programs, trainings, etc. ;
- Government agency sponsored programs serving the Otsego County community, non-profit public and/or social service organizations located in or operating on a regular basis in Otsego County;
The Otsego County Library Director or an authorized representative has authority to approve use of Library buildings or grounds based on application. Meeting room use is issued for specific hours and dates. When the authorized function is over, program organizers are responsible for vacating the facilities. The specific hours must include set-up and clean up time and must be adhered to out of courtesy to all meeting room users.
There is no charge for room use. An authorized representative of the organization should submit the request in advance on an official application form. Applications are taken on a first come, first served basis. Please note that we require reservations in advance and will reserve your meeting room time for up to one year.
Renewal applications should be submitted at the beginning of the 12th month for the use period for consideration, but prior use of meeting rooms does not entitle applicants to future use. Failure to submit an application on time, to renew your group’s room use, may result in unavailability of that space due to other applicants’ granted use.
- All meeting rooms may be used during the Library’s open hours. Fifteen minutes before closing, meeting rooms should be cleared, with all furniture replaced as required. Before or after hours use may be approved for the main floor Multipurpose Room and Upper Level Meeting Rooms A/B and Kitchen when requested in advance.
- Organizations using the Library’s meeting rooms will make no monetary profit from its use. They will not be permitted to use advertising and publicity which imply that their programs are sponsored or co-sponsored or approved by the Library. Publicity is the responsibility of the group reserving the meeting space. The sponsoring group must be identified on all publicity displayed or published. Publicity may not carry Otsego County Library telephone numbers or other contact information, unless written permission to do so has been previously given by the Library Director.
- The Library reserves the right of library staff to monitor any meetings held in its facilities. A list of all meetings booked may be posted in a public area in the Library and on the Library’s web site.
- No groups using the community meeting rooms may charge a fee or ask for donations. The facilities will not be available for fund-raising events, except when the objective is related directly to the improvement of the Library. The Library Director may approve the use of meeting rooms when an accredited public educational institution or professional organization must charge tuition for specific training courses.
- No items or services may be sold or advertised, except for Library sponsored programs in which items by a featured speaker/performer may be offered for sale by the speaker/performer or by the Friends of the Otsego County Library or a bookseller acting on behalf of either of those organizations. The speaker/performer must notify the Library when planning to offer items for sale. In all cases, the speaker/performer or his/her representative collects payment, not library staff. The exception is made because many of these works are published by small presses or are locally produced and it is a service to library patrons to make them available.
The individual responsible for the meeting room reservation must notify the Library of meeting cancellations. Event scheduling changes require completion of a new application. Failure to do so may result in loss of meeting room privileges. Meeting room use may be revoked by the Library whenever the use of Library facilities and equipment interferes with regular Library use, whenever guidelines and policies have been violated, and/or whenever a reallocation of authorized hours is necessary to provide equitable access by all applicants for space.
Care and Use of Facilities
- Please sign in for the group in the meeting room sign up binder. Be sure to include the name of the group, the date of room use and the number of people attending. This is important for documenting use and demonstrating need of the facilities to our stakeholders. A library assistant will show you to your reserved room and give you the check-out procedures. As the contact for your group, it is your responsibility to have all participants follow policies and to show them the exits in case of an emergency. All members of your group must have vacated the building before you leave.
- Please return the meeting room to the set configuration. A layout of the room can be found in the meeting room sign up binder. If tables and chairs are borrowed from another room, please return them and place them back where they were found. Groups are responsible for setting up the meeting room for their own use and must leave the room in the same condition in which it was found, including the placement of chairs and tables. Turn off all lights and appliances when finished.
- Furniture and/or equipment may be provided with prior approval. Arrangements for 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 building manager should be notified when the equipment is brought into the building.