Resource Guides: Trustees: Meeting Room Use and Policies

Sample Meeting Room Use Policies

Massachusetts Policy Collection from MLS
Westborough Tutoring Policy
Hillsboro Public Library (OR) Rules for Public Use of Library Meeting and Study Rooms
Cambridge Public Library Meeting Room Policy
Berkshire Athenaeum (Pittsfield)
Reserve a Room page which links to policy, release and license agreement.

The following are resources from the American Library Association regarding meeting rooms. These resources should be used in consultation when developing or revising meeting room policies.

Meeting Rooms: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights
"Article V of the Library Bill of Rights states, “A person’s right to use a library should not be denied or abridged because of origin, age, background, or views.” This applies with equal force to the library’s meeting rooms and spaces designated for public use as it does to the library’s collections and services."
Meeting Rooms Q&A
Responding to and Preparing for Controversial Programs and Speakers Q&A
This Q&A offers strategies and resources for preparing your library to approach community concerns as well as reaction to potentially controversial programs, events, and speakers.
Religion in American Libraries Q&A

Library Meeting Room Use in the News

Links provided to external (non-MBLC) news stories are done so as a convenience and for informational purposes only; they do not constitute an endorsement or an approval by the MBLC. MBLC bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality, or content of the external site or for that of subsequent links. Contact the external site for answers to questions regarding its content.

ACLU Rhode Island: Letter re Cranston Library Event
"This letter was sent to the Cranston Public Library in support of their decision, which aligns with the preserving of First Amendment rights, to allow an organization to use space at a local branch location for a "gender ideology" panel discussion."
A Statement Regarding Meeting Room Use at the Cranston Public Library

Chelmsford Public Library reinstates ‘pastor story hour’ after church claims rights were violated
Scarsdale Public Library statements regarding Kirk Cameron room rental
Information about the Brave Books and Kirk Cameron meeting room booking at the Central Library May 27
from Seattle Public Library blog about the Brave Books and Kirk Cameron meeting room booking at the Central Library May 27

Legal Information

Hate Speech Law in Massachusetts
from Berkshire Law Library, Trial Court Law Libraries
Hate Speech and Hate Crime
from ALA
FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION - ACLU POSITION PAPER

Frequently Asked Questions about Library Meeting Rooms

Coming soon!

Trustees: Meeting Room Use and Policies

Legal Issue for Libraries: Library Meeting Spaces

Sample Meeting Room Use Policies

Library Meeting Room Use in the News

Legal Information

Frequently Asked Questions about Library Meeting Rooms