Public Meeting Rooms | Northborough Free Library

The purpose of this policy is to outline how, when, and by whom the public meeting rooms in the library may be used.

Use of the rooms does not constitute or imply endorsement of the users’ policies, beliefs, or programs by the library staff or Board of Trustees.

Rooms are available for use by Northborough-affiliated non-profit groups and civic organizations under conditions set by the Board of Library Trustees.

Rooms are available for educational, civic and cultural activities that are free and open to the public such as group discussions, exhibits, lectures, and civic meetings. They are unavailable for uses not deemed to be in the public interest of the community as determined by the Board of Trustees, such as;

Commercial use, defined as events including solicitations, admission or other charges, fundraising activities (except for the Friends of the Northborough Library), sales, and/or the provision of fee-based services.
Social use, defined as events such as reunions, showers, birthday parties, dances, weddings, and other events of such nature.
Individual use: Rooms may not be booked for individual use, with the exception of the Conference Room, under the conditions outlined below. The library does have several Study Rooms available for this purpose.
Political purposes: rooms may not be used to host political rallies, campaigns for political officials, or campaigns for specific partisan issues. Organizational meetings, forums, and office hours hosted by current elected officials serving the town of Northborough are acceptable so long as they are free and open to the public.
Healthcare Services: Meeting rooms may not be used to provide any kind of direct healthcare services including examinations, hands-on demonstrations, or treatments unless sponsored by a town department.

Meeting attendees or children’s groups are subject to all other Library policies. Use of rooms may not disrupt regular library business. Noise levels must not disturb other patrons or library staff.

RESERVATIONS AND USE

Note: In addition to these general rules that apply to all rooms, there are additional reservation and use rules for each individual room. Please read the section that pertains to the room you are booking carefully.

Reservations must be made using the library’s online booking software, or by contacting the Circulation Department.
Rooms are available for use by community groups directly serving Northborough residents.
Reservation must be made by a Northborough resident or Northborough town employee who will serve as the primary contact for the booking. The contact person must be at least 18 years of age, must attend the meeting, and must include their name, address, and phone number with the reservation.
Groups must start programs during regular library hours.
Reservations are limited to the time frame available within the parameters of the booking software.
The use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, open flames, incense, and lit candles is not allowed.
No tape, tacks, or other fasteners may be used on any walls, doors, windows or woodwork in the rooms.
Groups are responsible for providing pens, markers, paper, or any other supplies.
Groups may only use the tables and chairs designated for the room. Furniture located elsewhere in the library may not be moved into the room for use.
Groups are also responsible for leaving the room in a neat and orderly condition, with furniture returned to its original location.
Tables used for crafts, food, or beverage must be wiped down after use.

RESERVATIONS FOR TOWN DEPARTMENTS

The Library Director may waive certain requirements of this policy for official town business. To ensure smooth operations for both the Library and Town Departments as well as municipal Boards & Committees, Town departments needing to reserve rooms that require a waiver of the following public rules shall coordinate directly with the Library Director or their designee to do so:

Maximum number of reservations at one time or in one calendar year
Reserving a date outside the parameters of the booking software
Meetings and trainings held by town departments do not necessarily need to be open to the public, such as staff meetings or executive sessions.
Requests for use outside of normal library hours may be approved. Department Staff requesting use of the room are responsible for properly securing the library during and after the meeting. A door key may be temporarily issued to allow staff entry to the building.

Town departments must still adhere to general facility rules. Library programs and business will take precedence over town requests. Public bookings that have prior approval will not be canceled to accommodate a Town Department, Board, or Committee.

PUBLICITY

Any posters, flyers or other publicity shall be the responsibility of the group using the rooms. The group must clearly identify itself as the sponsoring organization in any such publicity. Publicity must not imply endorsement of the event by the library, the Friends of the Library, or the Town of Northborough. No events will be publicized by the library through its information channels unless the event is sponsored by the library or the Friends of the Library.

CANCELLATIONS

Cancellations should be made as soon as possible.
The group is responsible for notifying attendees of the cancellation.
The library reserves the right to cancel a reservation, but every effort will be made to give adequate advance notice.
Missing two consecutive reservations without notifying library staff will result in loss of booking privileges for the group for a period of three months. Future no-shows for the same group will result in loss of booking privileges for up to one year.

CHARGES

There is no charge for the use of the rooms.
Any fees for damages or cleaning will be charged to the primary contact listed on the booking form.
No admissions fees may be charged, or collections, sales or solicitations made, with exception for Friends of the Northborough Library fundraising events.

MEETING ROOM

A group may have up to three reservations for the Meeting Room on the calendar at one time, and may book the Meeting Room no more than 12 times in one calendar year.

The maximum occupancy for the Meeting Room is as follows:

Tables and Chairs: 74

Chairs only: 160

Standing only: 224

The library has limited parking which must remain available for other library activities. Groups using the Meeting Room should use the town parking lot at the corner of Pierce and Hudson Streets.

Meetings in the Meeting Room may end after the library closes. Groups wishing to use the Meeting Room after hours must submit an After Hours Use Form to the Circulation Desk at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting. Meetings must end by 10pm. Requests to allow a meeting to run longer than 10pm must be submitted at least a week prior to the meeting date and will be considered and approved by the Library Director on a case-by-case basis.

Groups may set up the room (i.e. arranging chairs, tables, etc.) in the way which it prefers. Furniture may not block doors or fire safety equipment. Groups may not cover or move any artwork on display.

A kitchenette is available for serving light refreshments, but not for preparing and serving meals. Groups must provide their own refreshments, tablecloths, and paper goods. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

The library has microphones, a projector, DVD player, and Listen Assist devices available in the room for public use. Please contact the Adult Services Desk at least a week prior to your meeting date if you would like to arrange a training on the equipment. AV setup and takedown is the responsibility of the Group. AV support during meetings is not a guarantee, as staff may not be available to assist.

CONFERENCE ROOM

A group may have up to three reservations for the Conference Room on the calendar at one time. There is no yearly limit for usage of the Conference Room.

Same-day individual use of the Conference Room is permitted on a walk-in basis, when there are no Study Rooms available.

The Conference Room comfortably seats 10 around the large meeting table. There are a total of 18 chairs in the room. The table in the Conference Room cannot be moved.

Meetings in the Conference Room may end after the library closes. Groups wishing to use the Conference Room after hours must submit an After Hours Use Form to the Circulation Desk at least 24 hours prior to the start of the meeting. Meetings must end by 10pm. Requests to allow a meeting to run longer than 10pm must be submitted at least a week prior to the meeting date and will be considered and approved by the Library Director on a case-by-case basis.

There is a white board on the wall. There is no AV equipment in this room. A projector is available for use, but there is no screen. Please contact the Reference Desk at least a week prior to your meeting date if you would like to arrange a training on use of the projector. Setup and takedown is the responsibility of the Group. Support during meetings is not a guarantee, as staff may not be available to assist.

CHILDREN’S PROGRAM ROOM

A group may have up to three room reservations on the calendar at a time. There is no yearly limit for usage of the Children’s Program Room.

The Children’s Program Room is designated specifically for use by children’s groups and for children’s programs. It is furnished with child-sized furniture and designed to accommodate the needs of young children. For safety, comfort, and appropriateness, use of this room is limited to activities and groups that primarily serve young children.

The room is furnished with 5 child-sized tables and 20 child-sized chairs on half of the room, with linoleum on the floor. The other half of the room has a carpet and a dramatic play area, with a brick pillar in the middle of the room separating the two areas. There is a sink in the room.

Due to the unique layout and setup of this room, activities requiring lots of movement, including but not limited to running, jumping, and dancing, may result in injury and are therefore prohibited in the Children’s Program Room.

Groups must start and end programs during regular library hours. After hours use of this room is not permitted.

Groups may set up the room (i.e. arranging chairs, tables, etc.) in the way which it prefers, but must keep the tables on the linoleum. Dramatic play items may not be removed from the room.

The Trustees reserve the right to deny the use of any meeting space to any group that does not comply with these policies.

Last update: January 2026

Approved by the Board of Library Trustees on: January 13, 2026