• Information About the Rooms
• Additional Equipment
• Time of Use and Fees
• Deposit Required
• How to Reserve a Room
• Rules of Use
• Liability
• Exceptions
• Meeting Room Application

Meeting Room Information

The Library has two (2) meeting rooms available for public use on a first come, first serve basis, when not reserved by the Library and/or recognized departments of the City of Benicia for official business. These rooms are available only for meetings of a civic, cultural and/or educational nature.

The Board of Trustees of the Benicia Public Library established the following policy regarding use of the Library’s meeting rooms. The Library Director or an authorized representative has authority to issue permits for the use of the Library meeting rooms and grounds, subject to the conditions and requirements set forth here.

Rooms

Edna Clyne Room

 The Edna Clyne meeting room holds 20 people. It is equipped with a large conference table, 20 chairs, white dry marker board and projection screen.

Dona Benicia Room

The Dona Benicia Meeting Room can seat up to 100 people, theater style. It is equipped with 100 chairs and 10 tables, a portable white dry marker board, projection screen, podium and public address system. This room can be partitioned into two separate spaces that can accommodate 50 people each.

There is a kitchenette that can be used to prepare nonalcoholic beverages and light refreshments, but not full meals. Catered and/or prepared food may be brought in.

A garden patio is accessible directly from the Dona Benicia meeting room. Suitable for group functions, organized use of the garden space needs to be arranged, in advance, with library staff.

The Library facility itself is not available for use.

Additional Equipment:

Besides the items that are in the rooms these additional items are available upon advance request:

• Coffee pot.
• Large screen TV
• Slide projector
• Fireplace key.

Times

The meeting rooms are available for a per-hour rate during the Library open hours.

• Hours of scheduling shall include the total time required for the meeting, from the time of the group’s first arrival for setup to the time the room is returned to its original condition and vacated.
• When the room is reserved, the person making the application will state when the meeting will end.
• Rooms must be vacated at least 10 minutes before the Library’s closing time.
• Any individual or group that has not returned the room to its original condition and vacated the room by 10 minutes before closing time will be denied future use of the room and will forfeit their cleaning deposit.

Hourly Fees

Deposit

A $50 cleaning and damage deposit is required for security. If the room is vacated clean and with no damage, the deposit will be refunded. Organizations or individuals that rent the room frequently may leave a $25 standing deposit if they so choose.

Reserving a Meeting Room

• The meeting rooms are only available during the hours that the library is open to the public.
• Rooms must be cleaned and vacated no later than 10 minutes before closing.
• The Library and the City have first priority and can reserve rooms up to one year in advance. The general public may sign up to use these rooms no more than three months in advance and no less than one week before the scheduled event, one time per month.
• Room reservations must be made in person, by the person accepting responsibility for the terms of the agreement. This person must be over 18 years of age and have a valid Benicia Library card or valid driver’s license.
• Reservations must be accompanied by a completed “Meeting Room Application”, a $50 refundable cleaning deposit and a separate check for the full rental fee. Fees, including the time needed to set up and clean up are:
  • $20/hour for the Edna Clyne Conference room.
  • $20/hour for 1/2 of the Dona Benicia meeting room.
  • $30/hour for the entire Dona Benicia meeting room.
• The deposit will be mailed to the person signing the application after an authorized member of the library staff determines that the room is sufficiently cleaned and that no damage to property or equipment has occurred.
• The inspection will be held as soon as possible, following the conclusion of the meeting, and before the room is used by another group. Staff availability will determine the exact time of the inspection.
• Individuals or groups using the meeting rooms regularly may leave a $25 “standing deposit” with the Library.
• If the meeting room is reserved, but not used, the individual and or group who made the reservation is responsible for canceling it, at least one week before the scheduled use date.
• All fees will be returned if reservations are canceled no less than one week in advance of the scheduled meeting date. If canceled later than this, only the $25 deposit will be refunded.
• Meeting room reservations are not transferable from one group to another.
• If the individual in charge of an approved meeting room should be other than the person signing the application, THE PERSON SIGNING THE APPLICATION WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR MEETING THE TERMS OF THE RENTAL AGREEMENT.
• The Library reserves the right to cancel or deny use agreements at any time.
• ANY GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO FAIL TO OBSERVE ANY OF THE ABOVE CONDITIONS WILL HAVE ALL FUTURE MEETING ROOM PRIVILEGES CANCELLED.

General Rules

1. All events held in meeting rooms must open to the public.
2. Meeting room activities shall not interfere, in any way, with regular library building, grounds or equipment usage. (i.e. NO loud music)
3. Meeting rooms may not be used for social events, such as parties or weddings, nor for events for which there is a fee, unless the sponsoring organization is a “not for profit community group” and the event serves no commercial purpose.
4. Meeting rooms may not be used by profit-making ventures or by representatives of profit-making companies and/or organizations to advertise or sell their goods or services (i.e., a Tupperware party is not an acceptable use of the rooms, but Tupperware could reserve the room for a staff-development workshop.)
5. Any petitions or solicitations taking place within the meeting rooms may not extend into the library proper.
6. No individual or group shall store materials in the Library before or after the scheduled event.
7. Activities for minors (under 18 years of age) must be supervised by responsible adults with a ratio of at least one (1) adult for every fifteen (15) minors.
8. Room set up and clean up are the total responsibility of the applicant and are included in the rental time allotted to, and charged for, each event.
9. Smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverages are prohibited, as are pets (guide dogs are excepted).
10. Applicants must provide all their own meeting supplies including: dry erase markers, paper products, kitchen utensils, etc.
11. The number of persons present, at one time, may not exceed the capacity of the rooms as posted.
12. You must be a least eighteen (18) years of age to reserve a meeting room.
13. You must hold a valid Benicia Public Library card or valid driver’s license to reserve a room.
14. Individuals signing up to use any of the available equipment must know how to operate it and accept full financial responsibility for any damage that may occur to it while registered to them.

Liability

1. All individuals or groups using the Library meeting rooms will agree to hold the Benicia Public Library and the City of Benicia harmless from any loss, damage, liability, costs, and/or expenses that may arise during or to be caused in any way by such use of the Library facilities.
2. The individual or group renting the room is solely responsible and answerable financially for any and all accidents or injuries to persons or property resulting from the use of the Library meeting rooms.
3. The individual or group renting the room is responsible for the control and supervision of all people in attendance during their use of the facility. They shall take care to see that no damage is done to the facility and that all attendees conduct themselves in an orderly fashion.
4. The Library is not responsible for loss of or damage to individual or group property before, during, or after the meeting.
5. Non-library based groups must guarantee that any material promoting their event does not suggest, in any way, that the library has anything to do with presenting, sponsoring, or promoting the meeting. The presence of the group, in the library meeting room, does not constitute endorsement by the library of the group’s ideas or values.

Exceptions

Exceptions to this policy may be granted by the Library Director. The Library Director’s decisions may be appealed to the Library Board of Trustees.

Adopted: March 22, 1993

Revised: July 25, 1993

Revised: December 16, 1996

Revised: February 13, 2001

Updated 2/7/06

Meeting Room Application