Room Use Policy

USE OF THE STUDY ROOMS

Two study rooms are available for adult patrons on the first floor of the Library, and two study rooms are available for children and youth on the second floor of the Library. Adults are not able to use the study rooms on the second floor unless accompanying someone under the age of 18. The rooms are for the use of no more than four people at a time. An adult must accompany children under seven years of age.

Adults may request the use of a first-floor study room in person at the Public Services desk, by telephone, or online. Children and their guardians may request the use of a second-floor study room in person at the Youth and Teen Services desk, by telephone, or online. A valid library card is required to reserve a study room. The person whose library card is used to reserve the room must be present in the study room during its use.

A study room may be reserved for up to two hours by any single person or group in any single day. The length of a session may be extended if no other patrons are waiting to use a room. If a person or group with a reservation is fifteen minutes late, the room may be assigned to a group on the waiting list.

USE OF MEDIASCAPE ROOM

The purpose of the Mediascape Room is for small groups to work collaboratively on multiple devices while sharing multiple screen views with the group. All other use of this space is secondary to this purpose. This room is for the use of no more than four people at a time. An adult must accompany children under seven years of age.

A group may request the use of the Mediascape Room in person at the Youth and Teen Services Desk, by telephone, or online. A valid library card is required to reserve the room. The person whose library card is used to reserve the room must be present in the study room during its use.

The Mediascape Room may be reserved for up to two hours by any single group in any single day. The length of a session may be extended if no other groups are waiting to use a room. If a group with a reservation is fifteen minutes late, the room may be assigned to a group on the waiting list.

If the room is otherwise unoccupied and not reserved, individuals or groups with individuals under the age of 18 may use the Mediascape Room as an additional study room on a first-come-first-served basis. For this purpose, the Mediascape Room is not reservable, and occupants will be asked to vacate the room if a group requiring its media-sharing capabilities requests its use.

USE OF MEDIA LAB

The purpose of the Media Lab is for individuals or groups of any age to use the space and equipment for the creation of multimedia projects. This room is not available for study or other purposes.

A group or individual may request the use of the Media Lab in person at the Youth and Teen Services Desk, by telephone, or online. A valid library card is required to reserve the Media Lab. The person whose library card is used to reserve the room must be present in the study room during its use.

The Media Lab may be reserved for up to two hours by any individual or single group in any single day. The length of a session may be extended if no other individuals or groups are waiting to use a room. If an individual or group with a reservation is fifteen minutes late, the room may be assigned to someone on the waiting list.

USE OF MEETING, CONFERENCE AND ACTIVITY ROOMS

The purpose of the Meeting, Conference, and Activity Rooms is to provide a gathering space for groups for non-commercial purposes.

These rooms may be reserved in person, by phone, or online. All reservations are tentative until having been reviewed and approved by Library administration. Reservations are accepted on a first-come-first-served basis. Reservations may be made up to one year in advance. Groups are limited to one reservation per month unless prior permission is granted by the Library Director or Board of Trustees. Use of all rooms by Library staff or for Library purposes takes precedence over all reservations. Groups with a confirmed reservation may be required to alter their reservation with a minimum of 24 hours’ notice by Library Staff.

Rooms are available for use during regular Library hours with the exception that all reservations must terminate no less than 30 minutes prior to Library closing on any given day.

Permission must be granted in advance if refreshments are to be served.

The person who makes the reservation will be held responsible for paying the rental fee as well as fees for any damages that might be incurred to the room or library equipment during its use. This person must be in attendance for the duration of the reservation unless they specifically designate another person to stand in as their representative. It is expected that the room will be left in the same condition in which it was found. Cleaning fees may be assessed to the person who made the reservation at cost.

The fees for all reservations shall be as follows:

• For the Meeting Room, $30 for the first two hours or any part thereof and $2.50 per quarter hour thereafter.
• For the Conference and Activity Rooms, $20 for the first two hours or any part thereof and $2.50 per quarter hour thereafter.

The Meeting Room has a maximum capacity of 100 people, and the Conference and Activity Rooms each have a maximum capacity of 20 people.

People under the age of 18 using any of these rooms must be accompanied by an adult at all times.

Upon request, the Library will make use of its tables, chairs, and other equipment at no charge and as long as such equipment is available.

Any group using any of these rooms must indemnify and hold harmless the the Palos Heights Public Library, its Trustees and staff, and the City of Palos Heights for any and all accidents which may be sustained on the premises.

Any request for exceptions to the above rules should be submitted in writing through Library administration to the Library Board of Trustees before its next regularly scheduled Board Meeting.

The Palos Heights Public Library is subject to the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Individuals who require accommodation for a disability for any meeting should contact the person reserving the room, who then must contact Library administration at least five days prior to the scheduled event.

Adopted 03/09/89
Revised 10/08/92
Revised 04/08/93
Revised 04/13/95
Revised 02/08/01
Revised 06/10/04
Revised 05/12/05
Revised 06/12/14
Revised 01/16/20