Read the Meeting Room Basics and Policy Below (Agreeing to the Library Board Meeting Room Policy is required a required part of our meeting room use Terms and Conditions)
 

Room Use Basics

• Room use requests must be made a minimum of 2 weeks in advance but can be made up to 1 calendar year ahead of time.
• Non-profit volunteer groups may use the meeting rooms free of charge.
• Non-profit organizations with paid staff will be charged $20 per hour (The library will provide an invoice complete with payment instructions.)
• For-profit groups will be charged $40 per hour, per room; as will all condominium and home owners associations. (The library will provide an invoice complete with payment instructions.)
• Groups are limited to using a room 12 times during a calendar year.
• The first time a meeting room is requested each calendar year, an Annual Room Use Agreement will be provided to the person responsible for making the request. Once filled out, signed, and returned, the agreement will be kept on file and considered valid for the duration of the calendar year.  Booking a meeting room using the online booking system and checking the appropriate box during the booking process satisfies this requirement.
• Meeting room users are responsible for arranging tables and chairs in whatever configuration is best suited to the occasion. However, at the conclusion of the event, the furniture may be left as the group arranged it. The Library Maintenance Staff will see that it is properly stored.
• Items for recycling and disposal may be left in the appropriate containers provided, but the room should otherwise be left in the same condition of cleanliness in which it was found.
• The library has a No Call/No Show policy. Groups that repeatedly make room reservations and fail to show up without giving the library sufficient notice may have meeting room privileges revoked.
• Food may be brought into the meeting rooms for booked events. However, a cleaning fee of $25.00 may apply.

Bristol Public Library System Meeting Room Policy

I. STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

A. The Board of Library Directors of the Bristol Public Library System views the use of the meeting rooms as an extension of library services. Reflecting the educational, cultural, social and recreational roles of the library, the rooms will be broadly available to community organizations engaged in educational, cultural, intellectual, civic, or charitable activities.

B. The Board subscribes to Article IV of the Library Bill of Rights which states that facilities should be made available to the public served by the given library on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.

II. AVAILABILITY AND APPLICATION FOR USE

A. There are four (4) meeting rooms available for public use:

1. Three (3) Meeting Rooms at Bristol Public Library (total capacity – 315)
2. The Manross Room at the F.N. Manross Memorial Library (total capacity – 130)

B. Library functions will have first priority for use of the Meeting Rooms and the library reserves the right to preempt non-library use. This priority shall apply in establishing future reservations and in canceling previously established reservations. Use of the meeting rooms shall be governed by the following descending order of priority:

1. Bristol Public Library System
2. Friends of the Bristol Public Library
3. City of Bristol: Boards, Commissions, Committees, Agencies, and Departments
4. Bristol non-profit community organizations

C.  Appropriate Use

1. The Library Director is authorized to determine the appropriate use of the rooms. Any person or group denied use of the meeting room(s) may be referred to the Board of Library Directors for appeal.
2. Programs or presentations, of any nature, intended for the general public may not be held in the meeting rooms unless sponsored by the Bristol Public Library, The Manross Memorial Library, The Friends of the Bristol Public Library or the City of Bristol.  Organizations may make use of the meeting rooms for presentations and programs intended for their own membership.

D. The fact that a group or individual is permitted to use the room does not in any way constitute an endorsement of the group’s policies or beliefs by the Library or the City.

E. Reservations for use of the meeting rooms must be made by an individual at least 18 years of age. Reservations at the Manross Library must be made with the Supervisor of Branch Services by telephone or in person. (An application will be sent which must be completed, signed and returned to the library for approval.) Reservations at the Main Library must be made either by using the online meeting room request system, or by contacting the Library’s Programming / Public Relations Manager.

F. Groups are limited to using a room twelve (12) times during a calendar year.

G. Reservations for the use of the meeting rooms must be made at least two weeks, but not more than one year, in advance.

H. Meeting rooms are generally available for use during library hours.

I. All events scheduled at library facilities must be free of charge.

J. Charging for Meeting Rooms

1. For-profit groups may use the meeting rooms for informational meetings only. For profit groups, as well as condominium and home owners associations, shall be charged a fee of $40.00 per hour, per room for use of the meeting rooms.
2. Non-profit organizations and governmental entities with paid staff, except departments and agencies of the City of Bristol, will be charged a fee of $20.00 per hour.
3. Non-profit community organizations consisting of unpaid volunteer members shall not be charged a fee for meeting room use.  Such groups may, at the discretion of the Library Director, be charged a cleaning fee for catered events or any event where food will be present.

K. Selling or taking orders of any kind is prohibited.

1. No fees, dues, or donations may be charged, solicited, or collected by meeting room users for any programs or exhibits taking place at the library.
2. Fund raising events or solicitation of any kind are not permitted unless sponsored by the Friends of the Bristol Public Library.
3. Meetings planned by a company or individual to promote, advertise, or lead to the sale of a product or service are not permitted. This includes, for example, informational seminars intended to generate future clients for a company or individual.
4. Though the library encourages programs or gatherings of interest to collectors or hobbyists, parties or events that sell consumer goods, such as baskets, housewares, jewelry or cosmetics, are not permitted.

L. Private social events, such as wedding, birthday, anniversary, or graduation parties, are not permitted; nor are family reunions or baby showers.

M. In all advertising and press releases it must be made clear that the sponsoring organization should be contacted directly for information regarding the program, and a contact name and telephone number must be provided. One of the following statements of sponsorship must appear in all advertising and press releases:

1. This program is sponsored by (organization’s name, followed in parentheses by representative’s name and contact information) and will be held in Meeting Room (1, 2, or 3) on the lower level of the Bristol Public Library, 5 High Street, Bristol, CT.
2. This program is sponsored by (organization’s name, followed in parentheses by representative’s name and contact information) and will be held in the Manross Room of the F.N. Manross Memorial Library, 260 Central Street, Forestville, CT.

N. Under no circumstances shall the sponsor of a meeting require sign-in of attendees nor should any follow-up contact be made at the sponsor’s initiation.

O. Any group or individual violating these rules may be asked to leave and/or denied future use of the facilities.

P. Groups and individuals are responsible for carrying their own materials and equipment into and out of the building.

Q. The City of Bristol requires some groups who wish to use the meeting rooms to provide an acceptable certificate of insurance to the Comptroller’s Office. Only the Comptroller’s Office has the authority to waive this requirement. Examples of programs or events requiring insurance might be: those that include demonstrations of, or participating in, any physical activity.

III.         NO CALL/NO SHOW POLICY

Reserving a library meeting room and failing to show up for any reason without notifying the library on three (3) separate occasions in any calendar year will result in loss  of meeting room privileges. Reinstatement of meeting room privileges, and the terms governing such reinstatement, shall be at the discretion of the Library Director.

III. THE LIBRARY BOARD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY ITEMS IN SECTION II AT ANY TIME IN RESPONSE TO CHANGING CONDITIONS.

Revised 09/09/2002
Revised 06/05/2006
Revised 05/07/2012
Revised 02/04/2019
Revised 12/07/2015, 10/02/2023

Combining Rooms

The walls dividing the three rooms are removable to accommodate larger groups (ranging from 75 to 315 people). Such requests require special permission and, for best results, should be made three to four months in advance.

Please contact the Assistant Director/Program Manager  at 860-584-7787 ext. 2007 or scottstanton@bristolct.gov if you anticipate more than 75 people may attend your event.

FAQ

What if I’ve made a mistake when using the Online room booking system?
If you just need to make a minor time adjustment, or change something like the number of tables and chairs you will need, you can leave a message at 860-584-7787 ext. 2007, or email scottstanton@bristolct.gov

If you made your request for the wrong day or the wrong room,  submit another booking request for the reservation you do need, and then leave a message at 860-584-7787 ext. 2007, or email scottstanton@bristolct.gov explaining which request is the correct one.

How do I cancel my Main Library Meeting Room reservation?
You’ll have to leave a message at 860-584-7787 ext. 2007, or email scottstanton@bristolct.gov. There is also a cancellation link in the booking confirmation email you will receive upon completing your booking request.

Please note: The library has a No Call/No Show policy. Failure to notify the library of a meeting room cancellation may result in a loss of meeting room access.

What happens if the weather is bad the day of my reservation?
If you need to cancel your event due to bad weather or some other emergency situation, please leave a message at 860-584-7787 ext. 2007, or email scottstanton@bristolct.gov.

The library rarely closes due to weather conditions. Should the library need to close unexpectedly, a staff member will try to reach the person from your organization who was responsible for making the reservation.

In either case, if the library has power and internet access, closing information will be posted on the Bristol Public Library website.

If Bristol Schools are closed, will the library close, too?
Not usually. The library rarely closes due to bad weather.

Does the library have a projector and a laptop we can use for our event?
While the Main Library does have the built-in ceiling projectors and wall screens in each room, meeting room users need to provide their own laptop or other media playing device if needed. The Library can provide HDMI cables upon request.

Book a Room Online >

Have questions? Contact The Assistant Library Director/Program Manager, at 860-584-7787 ext. 2007 or scottstanton@bristolct.gov.