Meeting Room Policy

Port Arthur Public Library
Meeting Room Policy

The Port Arthur Public Library (PAPL) has a large meeting room (the Lucy Stiefel Gallery), a courtyard (the Ray Cline Courtyard), a classroom, and two conference rooms available to the public for meetings, study groups, classroom style presentations, public forums and other uses. This policy is intended to provide guidance to community organizations, groups, and individuals seeking to lease or use these library facilities. Use of the library’s facilities does not constitute the library or the City of Port Arthur’s endorsement of the viewpoints, beliefs, ideas, or policies expressed or implied by organizations, groups, or individuals, using the library’s facilities. As with all library policies, exceptions may be approved by the library director.

To be eligible to use a PAPL meeting room or courtyard:

  1. Community groups and organizations must be nonprofit. 
  2. Meetings must be non-partisan in nature.
  3. Meetings must be free-of-charge to any participant and open to the public.
  4. Businesses and profit groups may use the meeting rooms when providing educational seminars which are free and open to the public.
  5. No sales or direct solicitations shall occur during a meeting. Exceptions to this, however, might include library sponsored events like a) author presentations and book signing where books and other materials are sold by the author or b) book sales held by the Friends of The Library (Friends). Approved sales events, excluding Friends book sales, are subject to a 10 percent commission fee payable to the library.
  6. A facility use request must be at least 72 hours prior to the event, but not more than 90 days in advance of the event. The 72-hour prior notice requirement is waived for individuals or small study groups when facilities are readily available.
  7. Organizations, groups, and individuals must agree that they are responsible for their own conduct and/or the orderly conduct of all persons in their group using the facility. Further, users must agree to be responsible for any and all damage that may occur to library equipment or property.

To reserve a PAPL meeting room or courtyard:

  1. Facility use requestors must complete the, “Application for Meeting Room Reservation”.  All nonprofit community groups and organizations must complete, “Application for Nonprofit Organizations”.  Reservation requests are not finalized until confirmed by library staff.
  2. Facility use requests are reviewed, approved, or denied, on a first-come, first-serve basis.
  3. To ensure fairness in sharing the library’s limited resources, facility users will generally not be able to reserve the facility on a continuing series of regularly scheduled meetings (for instance, daily or weekly).  Except when used as an official voters’ polling precinct, library facilities will only be open during regular operating hours. 
  4. Facility use reservations may be cancelled without notice for emergencies. When deemed necessary, the library director, may otherwise cancel a facility use reservation and will generally provide prior notice to the users (preferably at least 72 hours in advance).
  5. Projector, screen laptops, podium with a microphone(s), videoconferencing, projector may be available during the facility use period. Equipment requests must be stated on the initial reservation form. Library staff may be available to organize meeting rooms and equipment, if not, requesting users must provide their own support.
  6. Refreshments, like snacks or capped and container drinks, may be served only in the Lucy Stiefel Gallery. Local health laws do not allow on-site food service preparation. Candles or other open flames (lighters, matches, torches, etc.) of any kind, are prohibited.  All parties are responsible for cleanup and proper disposal of trash.
  7. All meeting spaces must conclude on time and be vacated 15 minutes before the regular closing time of the library.
  8. The library staff reserves the right to attend any meetings held in its facilities.  Doors to meeting rooms should remain unlocked to allow access to the staff.
  9. The library cannot store equipment or supplies.
  10. Shades are to remain up in Conference Room 1 and Conference Room 2.
  11. A $50 deposit is required when food is served in the Lucy Stiefel Gallery. The $50 food deposit will be forfeited if: 1) the space is not clean and orderly, 2) the meeting did not conclude on time, or 3) any “Library Rules” that are not obeyed. Library staff will not be available to assess a room for deposit refund clearance 15 minutes before closing time. Food deposit refunds, subject to the library director’s approval, will be returned, if applicable, within seven business days.
  12. All fire regulations and ADA access laws must be obeyed.