If you are NEW to this process, please read our meeting room policy below, and then click the “reserve” button at the bottom to apply online or check availablity. If you are familiar with our policy and procedures, please click here.
Meeting Room Policy
The Edith Wheeler Memorial Library maintains meeting rooms as suitable settings in which to hold its programs and activities, as well as the programs and activities of The Friends of the Library. In addition, the Library Board of Trustees welcomes use of the meeting rooms by community clubs and organizations as part of its mission of service to the Town of Monroe. Use of the meeting facilities should reflect the educational, informational, cultural, civic, and recreational role that a public library plays.
Meeting Rooms
The library offers three (3) meeting rooms for use by community clubs and organizations, town boards and commissions, not-for-profit entities, and for-profit businesses (all hereinafter referred to collectively as “groups”):
• The William J. Ehlers Meeting Room (Capacity: 150 persons)
• The Rotary Club Board Room (Capacity: 15 persons)
• The Quiet Study Room (Capacity: 8 persons) The Quiet Study Room may be reserved for use by Literacy Volunteers of America only.
Hours of Use
The library’s meeting rooms are available to be reserved by groups seven (7) days per week.
Hours are:
• The Ehlers Meeting Room: Monroe-based groups: Sundays through Saturdays between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m •Groups based outside of Monroe: Mondays through Fridays between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m.
• The Board Room and the Quiet Study Room: Available during regularly-scheduled library hours only, and meetings held there must end when the library closes A group’s official mailing address will be the standard used to determine whether or not it is “Monroe-based”.
Eligibility
The library’s meeting rooms may be used by groups pursuing educational, informational, cultural, civic, recreational, professional, and service goals. Monroe for-profit businesses may use the facilities for internal business meetings.
The library’s meeting rooms may not be used for partisan political rallies; commercial or sales programs; or private social events such as birthday and anniversary parties, showers, receptions, reunions, etc.
The Library Board of Trustees views the use of its meeting rooms by outside groups as an extension of library service to the community. Neither the Board nor the Town of Monroe advocate or endorse the beliefs or purposes of the groups given permission to use the meeting facilities.
Priority in Use
The library’s meeting facilities will be reserved on a “first-come-first-served” basis. In case of scheduling conflicts, the following reservation priorities will prevail:
1. The Library
2.The Friends of the Library
3. Town of Monroe boards and commissions
4. Monroe-based not-for-profit groups
5. Monroe-based for-profit businesses
6. All other groups
Fees
For meetings held entirely within library hours: Qualified not-for-profit groups may use the meeting rooms free-of-charge. Qualified for-profit businesses may use the meeting facilities upon payment of a rental fee of $150.00 per use for the Ehlers Meeting Room and $75.00 per use for the Board Room.
For meetings held partly or entirely outside of library hours: Qualified not-for-profit groups may use the Ehlers Meeting Room free-of-charge as long as a custodian is on duty at Town Hall or the library. If a custodian must be brought in outside of normal custodial hours, qualified not-for-profit groups will be required to pay a rental fee of $50.00 per use. This fee also may be applied if a not-for-profit group conducts a meeting that, in the opinion of the Library Director, will require special custodial services, including but not limited to clean-up of the facilities.
For meetings held partly or entirely outside of library hours: Qualified for-profit businesses may use the Ehlers Meeting Room upon payment of a rental fee of $175.00 per use.
Checks should be made payable to the Edith Wheeler Memorial Library.
Frequency of Use
In order to allow the widest possible use, groups will be limited to two (2) meetings on library premises per month. Exceptions may be made only with the permission of the Library Director or his/her designee.
Application for Use
Applications for use of a meeting room must be filed at least forty-eight (48) hours before the event is to start.
In order to reserve a meeting room, a representative of the requesting group must complete the library’s Application for Use of a Meeting Room and present a check for any applicable usage fee. Submitting the application, which is available online, signifies the group’s agreement to comply with the terms and conditions of the library’s meeting room policy. Applications must be completed by a representative at least 18 years of age. A copy of this policy will be given to the group’s representative. Room reservations are not taken over the telephone or via email.
Permission to use a meeting room will be granted by the Library Director or his/her designee. If a group is denied such permission, it may appeal to the Library Board of Trustees.
Groups that decide to cancel their use of a meeting room must notify the library at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to their scheduled use in order to receive a refund of their usage fee (if applicable). The sole exception to this rule is inclement weather: in case of inclement weather, a group representative should contact the library on the day of the meeting to check on a possible early closing.
Meeting rooms may only be reserved three (3) months in advance by quarter year: July 1 – September 30 October 1 – December 31 January 1-March 31 April 1 – June 30
Reservations for the ensuing quarter may be submitted two (2) weeks prior to the quarter’s first calendar day. Apply online and check room availability online from the library homepage: ewml.org
The library, acting through its Board of Trustees and/or its Director, reserves the right to accept or reject any application for the use of its meeting rooms.
Rules of Use
1. Groups using a library meeting room will be responsible for:
• Setting up the furniture and equipment needed for their events (without blocking doorways or fire equipment)• Proper supervision of meeting attendees• Restoring the room to the furniture arrangement in which it was found• Paying for any damage or loss to library property (as assessed by the town) resulting from their use
2. Meetings must not interfere with the normal operations of the staff or with the quiet enjoyment of the library by patrons.
3. Children of meeting participants may not be left unsupervised in other areas of the library.
4. Use of the library meeting room outside of regularly scheduled library hours may be subject to cancellation due to inclement weather conditions or any other situation not known at time of scheduling. This decision will be made by the Library Director or his/her designee.
5. Groups of children under the age of eighteen (18) may use the meeting rooms only with sufficient adult supervision. As a rule, the library will require at least one (1) adult supervisor age twenty-one (21) or older for every ten (10) children.
6. The following are prohibited on library premises: alcoholic beverages (except with the permission of the First Selectman), smoking, illegal abusive substances, and/or the use of candles or other combustible materials.
7. If so requested via the Application for Use of a Meeting Room, groups reserving the Ehlers Meeting Room may use free-of-charge:
• the adjoining kitchen and its equipment to serve beverages and light refreshments. They must leave the kitchen in a clean and orderly condition upon exiting. Trash should be placed into tied trash bags and left in the kitchen for the custodian to remove.• the library’s tables, chairs, and lectern. Other supplies and equipment required are the sole responsibility of the group. • the library’s piano. Should a group wish to have the piano specially-tuned for its event, it must pay for such tuning and it must use the library’s piano tuner.
8. Storage of items owned by a group or its members before or after a meeting is not permitted. Neither the library nor the Town of Monroe assumes responsibility for personal items left on the premises before or after a meeting.
9. Permission to use the meeting rooms means floor space only. Groups may not affix items to the walls, tack boards, etc. Artwork on display may not be moved or altered.
10. Not-for-profit groups will be allowed to engage in fundraising or sales on library property, provided permission is obtained in advance from the Library Director or his/her designee. For-profit businesses may not engage in any form of fundraising or sales.
11. No group may charge admission fees at their functions held in a library meeting room. They may, however, make normal collections of dues from their own members.
12. Whenever a group meets in the Ehlers Meeting Room entirely or partially outside of library hours, a custodian will be present to unlock the library and the room itself, turn on lights, make necessary adjustments to heat or air conditioning, assist with problems that the reserving group cannot handle, remove trash, and close and lock the facilities. Keys to the library are not issued to groups using the meeting facilities.
13. Groups that fail to comply with these rules may be denied use of the meeting rooms. Room use may also be denied to groups that cancel without notification twice within a twelve (12) month period.
14. Neither the Library Board of Trustees nor the Town of Monroe, including their employees or agents, is liable for any claims rising out of the use of the library’s meeting facilities.
Municipal Facility
The Edith Wheeler Memorial Library is a municipal building of the Town of Monroe. As such, it complies with all the rules and regulations of the town.
Administration of Policy
The Library Board of Trustees authorizes the Library Director to act in keeping with this policy and to execute its provisions on behalf of the library and the Town of Monroe.
Exceptions and Amendments
The Library Board of Trustees reserves the right to make exceptions to the provisions of this policy. In addition, the Library Board reserves the right to amend this policy from time to time, as it deems appropriate and in response to changing conditions.
Adopted by the Library Board of Trustees: November 17, 2005Revised: March 15, 2007Revised: October 18, 2007Revised: January 17, 2008Revised: June 27, 2008Revised: February 26, 2009Revised: September 17, 2009Revised: June 30, 2010
ONLINE ROOM USE REQUESTS WILL NOT APPEAR ON THE LIBRARY EVENT CALENDAR. IF YOU WISH TO PRESENT YOUR NON-PROFIT EVENT AS A LIBRARY PROGRAM WITH PUBLICITY ORIGINATING FROM THE LIBRARY, YOU MUST CONTACT THE ADULT SERVICES LIBRARIAN FOR APPROVAL AND TO COORDINATE A MUTUALLY ACCEPTABLE DATE AND TIME FOR YOUR EVENT.