COMMUNITY ROOM
The Bell County Public Library District’s Middlesboro and Pineville buildings are public institutions and should be used by all individuals in the community; the care, maintenance, and security of the building and its contents is the responsibility of the Board of Trustees and the Library Staff.
The Community Room as a meeting room is a service provided free of charge for the benefit of the citizens of Bell County; however, the Library also uses the Community Room for programs and other activities, and the activities and programs of the Library will take precedence.
All meetings or other activities taking place in the Community Room must be open to the public. Organized not-for-profit groups offering educational or other community activities will receive preference when scheduling the Community Room. Those individuals requesting the room for commercial purposes, such as Avon, Weight Watchers, or health workshops may reserve the room, if available and with Board approval, by making a deposit of $50.00 in advance. If the room is left in good order, clean, and nothing damaged, $25.00 of the deposit will be refunded.
Any individual renting or using the community room must be over 21 years of age and state the purpose of the meeting. The Community Room may not be scheduled for showers, birthday parties, etc.
Those requesting use of the community room must complete a User Permission Form prior to booking the room. Upon approval, the person reserving the room must check out a key and list any AV equipment needed, and sign a form promising to be responsible for the condition of the room, and agreeing to return it to the state in which they found it, and assuming responsibility for any lost or damaged equipment, furniture, or any other damage to the library. All meetings must end and the building be vacated by 11 p.m.
1. Community room key must be picked up during regular library business hours.
2. Groups or individuals are liable for damage to building and contents.
3. Users are requested to leave the community room in the same condition in which it was found.
4. Floor must be swept and all spills cleaned up. All tables must be wiped clean. As with other library areas, no smoking is allowed in the community room.
5. Garbage should be bagged and taken by those using the room and disposed of properly, not left in the library. Garbage bags are furnished by the library.
6. All doors must be checked to make sure they are locked and secure.
7. The stove must be checked to make sure it is not left on.
8. The keys must be returned to the librarian during regular library hours.
9. Request help from the library staff in learning to turn the lights on and off and securing the doors.
10. Federal law requires that this building be smoke free. No smoking is permitted anywhere in the library.
11. All who use the community room must sign a form after reading the community room rules and policies when picking up the keys. Failure to comply with the community room policies may result in the loss of the privilege of using the community room and/or a fee that covers the actual cost of any necessary repairs resulting from failure to comply with community room policies.
12. All who use the community room must sign a form stating the date and time of the meeting and the name of the group using the room.
13. Failure to comply with the community room policies may result in the loss of the privilege of using the community room.
COMMUNITY ROOM FOOD POLICY
- Groups sponsoring events are totally responsible for liability of the participants, both active participants and the audience, in any program on library property.
- The Library Board of Trustees reserve the right to require users of the Community Room to arrange at their own expense to obtain a Temporary Food Vendors permit from the local health department and present proof of such license.
- All groups using the Community Rooms are required to follow the meeting room guidelines regarding cleanup in the Community Room and kitchen areas.
- Alcoholic Beverages are prohibited.
- Foods prepared by a business licensed by the health department to prepare food (a licensed caterer, a delicatessen, a restaurant, etc.) are permitted, including fundraising events.
- For catered events, the caterer must have a food prep license. The caterer shall not leave equipment, linen or cleaning to a later date, nor shall any equipment, linens, flowers, food, or other items brought for the event be left for pick-up on another day after the event, and the preceding must be removed within 2 hours of end of event. The caterer must remove all trash and garbage from the library no later than the evening of the event. The library is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or disposal of, but not limited to, any above mentioned items.
- Bake sales (fundraising event) with homemade items are permitted. Bakes sales are not covered by the regulations of the Food Safety section of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health & Human Services so long as they are infrequent. Health department personnel explain that persons buying items at a bake sale which they are then taking home to consume “are aware of what they are buying: and they accept the responsibility thereof.
- Organizations whose meetings are open to the general public and free of charge may serve simple refreshments (cookies, candies, cakes, cupcakes, breads, coffee, tea, fruit drinks and soft drinks) which may include homemade and pre-packaged foods.
- Groups or organizations, which meet conditions for use of the Community Rooms, and are not open to the general public (and are free of charge) are permitted to serve meals which include homemade food.
-Library sponsored programs may serve pre-packaged foods or food prepared by a business licensed by the health department to prepare food. It is best if purchased foods are served so that food packages listing ingredients can be displayed beside the foods. Homemade food is not prohibited by the local health department as long as the program is free and the food is not prepared in the library. However, homemade food should include a listing of ingredients and by whom it was prepared. The library director and Board of Trustees reserve the right to prohibit homemade foods being served at library programs or functions.
The Community Room as a meeting room is a service provided free of charge for the benefit of the citizens of Bell County; however, the Library also uses the Community Room for programs and other activities, and the activities and programs of the Library will take precedence.
All meetings or other activities taking place in the Community Room must be open to the public. Organized not-for-profit groups offering educational or other community activities will receive preference when scheduling the Community Room. Those individuals requesting the room for commercial purposes, such as Avon, Weight Watchers, or health workshops may reserve the room, if available and with Board approval, by making a deposit of $50.00 in advance. If the room is left in good order, clean, and nothing damaged, $25.00 of the deposit will be refunded.
Any individual renting or using the community room must be over 21 years of age and state the purpose of the meeting. The Community Room may not be scheduled for showers, birthday parties, etc.
Those requesting use of the community room must complete a User Permission Form prior to booking the room. Upon approval, the person reserving the room must check out a key and list any AV equipment needed, and sign a form promising to be responsible for the condition of the room, and agreeing to return it to the state in which they found it, and assuming responsibility for any lost or damaged equipment, furniture, or any other damage to the library. All meetings must end and the building be vacated by 11 p.m.
1. Community room key must be picked up during regular library business hours.
2. Groups or individuals are liable for damage to building and contents.
3. Users are requested to leave the community room in the same condition in which it was found.
4. Floor must be swept and all spills cleaned up. All tables must be wiped clean. As with other library areas, no smoking is allowed in the community room.
5. Garbage should be bagged and taken by those using the room and disposed of properly, not left in the library. Garbage bags are furnished by the library.
6. All doors must be checked to make sure they are locked and secure.
7. The stove must be checked to make sure it is not left on.
8. The keys must be returned to the librarian during regular library hours.
9. Request help from the library staff in learning to turn the lights on and off and securing the doors.
10. Federal law requires that this building be smoke free. No smoking is permitted anywhere in the library.
11. All who use the community room must sign a form after reading the community room rules and policies when picking up the keys. Failure to comply with the community room policies may result in the loss of the privilege of using the community room and/or a fee that covers the actual cost of any necessary repairs resulting from failure to comply with community room policies.
12. All who use the community room must sign a form stating the date and time of the meeting and the name of the group using the room.
13. Failure to comply with the community room policies may result in the loss of the privilege of using the community room.
COMMUNITY ROOM FOOD POLICY
- Groups sponsoring events are totally responsible for liability of the participants, both active participants and the audience, in any program on library property.
- The Library Board of Trustees reserve the right to require users of the Community Room to arrange at their own expense to obtain a Temporary Food Vendors permit from the local health department and present proof of such license.
- All groups using the Community Rooms are required to follow the meeting room guidelines regarding cleanup in the Community Room and kitchen areas.
- Alcoholic Beverages are prohibited.
- Foods prepared by a business licensed by the health department to prepare food (a licensed caterer, a delicatessen, a restaurant, etc.) are permitted, including fundraising events.
- For catered events, the caterer must have a food prep license. The caterer shall not leave equipment, linen or cleaning to a later date, nor shall any equipment, linens, flowers, food, or other items brought for the event be left for pick-up on another day after the event, and the preceding must be removed within 2 hours of end of event. The caterer must remove all trash and garbage from the library no later than the evening of the event. The library is not responsible or liable for any loss, damage or disposal of, but not limited to, any above mentioned items.
- Bake sales (fundraising event) with homemade items are permitted. Bakes sales are not covered by the regulations of the Food Safety section of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health & Human Services so long as they are infrequent. Health department personnel explain that persons buying items at a bake sale which they are then taking home to consume “are aware of what they are buying: and they accept the responsibility thereof.
- Organizations whose meetings are open to the general public and free of charge may serve simple refreshments (cookies, candies, cakes, cupcakes, breads, coffee, tea, fruit drinks and soft drinks) which may include homemade and pre-packaged foods.
- Groups or organizations, which meet conditions for use of the Community Rooms, and are not open to the general public (and are free of charge) are permitted to serve meals which include homemade food.
-Library sponsored programs may serve pre-packaged foods or food prepared by a business licensed by the health department to prepare food. It is best if purchased foods are served so that food packages listing ingredients can be displayed beside the foods. Homemade food is not prohibited by the local health department as long as the program is free and the food is not prepared in the library. However, homemade food should include a listing of ingredients and by whom it was prepared. The library director and Board of Trustees reserve the right to prohibit homemade foods being served at library programs or functions.