Procedures and Guidelines
"The City Librarian is authorized to issue rules that are consistent with this policy and further its implementation' (Sec. 13, paragraph 1, The San Francisco Public Library Meeting Room Policy, July 2, 1996)
Priority of Use
- First priority shall be granted to Library-sponsored events. In prioritized order these include: 1) Library staff-generated meetings. 2) Events jointly sponsored by the Library and its affiliate groups. 3) Events jointly sponsored by the library and other community groups.
- Second priority will be given to: 1) Public meetings sponsored by other city departments, agencies and commissions. 2) Meetings and events sponsored by neighborhoods and community-based groups and organizations from the area served by the particular Library facility.
- Third priority will be given to children, youth groups and organizations involved in literacy or educational programs.
- Fourth priority will be given to other nonprofit public and /or social service organizations.
Access
- All meetings shall be open to the public except for staff operations meetings, authorized executive sessions of City Commissions, and administrative meetings of municipal agencies.
- Municipal staff meetings may be held and noted as such. These meetings will not be posted as open, public meetings.
- For municipal meetings open to the public, the meeting room application for Community Use shall be filed.
Applications, Scheduling and Posting
- Applicants shall make requests for meeting rooms on an application form provided by the Library.
- The library will not accept an application from a group for a meeting of fewer than six (6) persons.
- Organizations requesting use of meeting rooms must be located in or operate on a regular basis within the City and County of San Francisco.
- An application must be filed at least one week prior to the event, (Event dates will not be held or confirmed before an application is filed. Rule waivers will not be granted before an application is filed).
- Reservations may be made for up to but no more than six (6) months in advance of the event date.
- Reservations are not confirmed until the application has been signed by the appropriate Library administrator and returned to the organization representative.
- Confirmed applications must be presented to designated Library staff for access to event space.
- A short, on-site orientation on building use and care is required of the representatives of groups using the building for the first time and must be scheduled at least 10 days before the event.
- The group representative (‘primary contact person’) is required to be present throughout the event.
- The Library will post schedules of public meetings for public review at least 72 hours in advance of all meetings or activities. The posting will be in a place designated by the Branch librarian as well as in the Documents section of the Main Library.
- Meeting announcements are to include the name of the event representative along with a contact phone number,(announcements of events taking place in the Library shall not promote a service or product for commercial gain).