MEETING FACILITIES
MEETING FACILITIES
The Mansfield Public Library welcomes public use of its meeting facilities in keeping with the Library's mission "to provide free and equal access to a broad range of information and literature, to enrich the community through reading, culture and the arts, and to provide opportunities for life-long learning."
THE COMMUNITY ROOM
The Community Room at the Library is designed to meet the general cultural, educational, informational and civic needs of the Mansfield community, including activities involving discussion groups, lectures, conferences, seminars, exhibits and films, as well as Library story hours, puppet shows, book talks, and other programming.
The Community Room is used first by the Library or City for activities and programs related to City services. In such event, use of the Community Room by the Library or City shall take precedence over use of the room by groups in the community.
Who Can Reserve This Room?
Any group or organization of three or more individuals, not charging fees to attend the event, or planning to sell anything while using of the room.
How Much Does It Cost?
There is no charge for use of the Community Room. However, a refundable key deposit of $40 will be required at the time of reservation.
What May I Not Use The Room For?
The Community Room may not be used for social gatherings such as parties, showers, dances, etc., or for political campaigns or religious services. However, forums and study groups about politics or religion are acceptable, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of the participants.
The Community Room must be vacated at the time agreed upon when the room is reserved.
The Community Room is a facility of the City of Mansfield and is part of the Mansfield Public Library, so smoking, gambling, and alcoholic beverages are not permitted.
Reservations
Reservations for use of the Community Room must be made in person and will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Please call the library at 817/473-4391 to inquire about the room's availability or to ask any additional questions.
When making a reservation, please provide:
- Name of the organization
- Name, address and phone number of the responsible person
- Number of persons expected to attend
- A check made out to the Mansfield Public Library in the amount of $40.
- Reservations will be accepted up to three months in advance and should be made as early as possible. Reservations may also be made for three uses at a time, in advance of the actual dates the room will be will be used.
Cancellations
Notice of cancellation should be made as soon as possible. Failure to provide at least 24 hours notice of cancellation before the scheduled reservation time may result in forfeiture of the key deposit. A group forfeits its reservation if it fails to appear within 30 minutes of its scheduled reservation time. If a group fails to show for two meetings in a row and does not call to cancel, all future reservations are forfeited until the group calls to reschedule.
Room reservations are non-transferable, i.e., may not be assigned to other groups. The Library should be notified as soon as possible if a group will not be using its reservation.
Meetings may be held when the Library is not open. Arrangements must be made ahead of time for pick-up and return of keys. Groups must be out of the Community Room as agreed upon when making the reservation and the room must be left as it was found.
Refunds
Refund of the key deposit is contingent upon determination by the City Librarian that no damage to the room or contents has occurred and that the room has been left clean and in order.
Setting Up The Room
Groups using the room are responsible for setting the room up to their requirements and then putting everything away when finished. Furniture and/or equipment from the main floor of the Library may not be brought into the Community Room without authorization from the City Librarian. Personal furniture and/or equipment may be brought in by a group with prior authorization. Arrangements for such use should be made when making the reservation. In order to ensure easy removal of equipment after the meeting, the Library staff should be notified when equipment is brought into the building. The Library does not provide staffing or material to aid in the set up or clean up of the room.
Equipment, supplies or personal items should not be left in the Community Room before or after use. Keep all exits unlocked and accessible at all times. Open aisles must be maintained within the seating arrangement to provide clear access to all exits.
Any announcements or notices to publicize an activity should not be posted or distributed without prior approval of the City Librarian. The Library will not publicize events other than its own or City of Mansfield programs.
Room Capacity
Program attendance will be limited to the maximum capacity of the room, 60 with fixed seating and 120 without. Seating and/or supplementary furniture are not allowed in the hallway outside the room. See Library staff for additional information about seating capacity.
Refreshments such as coffee, juice, soft drinks, doughnuts, fruit, etc., and box lunches may be served, but no kitchen facilities are available for public use. No red-colored beverages may be served. All trash resulting from serving refreshments must be removed immediately by the user and the room returned to the condition in which it was found.
The person making a reservation must be at least 21 years old. That person and the membership of the group as a whole will be held responsible for any and all damages that occur as a result of the use of the facilities.
Permission to use the Community Room may be withheld from groups failing to comply with the use policy and from any group that damages the room, carpet, equipment or furniture, or creates a disturbance.
OTHER MEETING ROOMS
The library has small meeting rooms which may be reserved, in person or by phone, for two hours a day by groups of three or more people.
- Please tell us the name of your group.
- The room will be checked out on one of the group members' library card.
- Number of people using rooms at once may not exceed the room's load (posted in the room).
- Meetings must be held behind closed doors.
- Room must be turned back in at the end of two hours so others may use it.
- If you do not check out your room by 15 minutes after reservation time, room may be given to another person.
Individuals may check out rooms on their library cards for 2 hours a day on the basis of first come, first served.
- Other people may join in use of the room, subject to the time limitation on the person checking out the room and the maximum load of the room (posted in the room).
- Room must be turned back in at the end of two hours so others may use it.
- There will be no napping in meeting rooms.
- Furniture may not be brought into meeting rooms from other parts of the library.
- Furniture may not be taken from meeting rooms to other parts of the library.
- Rooms must be turned in on time or 15 minutes before the library closes, whichever applies.
- Room users must give up rooms to those who have reserved them ahead of time. A blue slip will be posted on the glass outside the room's door with this information.