Description
Meeting Room Policy and Tutoring Policy
Meeting Room Policy
The mission of the Grafton Public Library (hereinafter the “Library”) is to provide residents of any
age opportunities to find and use information in many formats as they pursue personal growth
and education throughout their lives. It helps them develop their ability to find and evaluate
information used daily and all lifelong. It provides materials and programs relevant to
contemporary issues and interests that enlighten, inform, and entertain.
In support of this mission, the Library provides meeting rooms and group study space. Meeting
rooms are available to community and non-profit groups and organizations for meetings that are
educational, cultural, and/or civic in nature.
The use of the facilities shall be in accordance with the policies and procedures set by the
Trustees of the Grafton Public Library. In allocating the use of meeting space, the Trustees of the
Library and Library staff shall not discriminate on the basis of the political or religious beliefs of
applicant groups, or on any other constitutionally or statutorily prohibited basis. However, the
provision of meeting space is not the primary mission of the Library and must always be
subordinate to the paramount need to provide a safe, peaceful, and respectful environment in
which to read and study.
• No use of meeting space that is likely to disturb Library patrons in their customary use of
Library facilities, impede Library staff in the performance of their duties, or endanger the
Library buildings or collection will be approved or permitted.
• Use of meeting space for Library purposes shall take precedence over all other uses.
• Permission to use a Library meeting space does not constitute or imply Library
endorsement of the aims, policies or activities of any group or organization, or the views
expressed in the meeting.
• Reservations for meeting room space are on a first-come, first-served basis.
• Library or Town sponsored meetings have priority, and the Grafton Public Library reserves
the right to preempt any scheduled meeting. The Library will make every effort to give
advance notices of such preemption with seven (7) days notice, pending to change,
subject to unanticipated emergency situations.
• All meetings must be free of charge and open to the public.
• Unless pre-approved by the Library, no admission charge, request for donation, or items
for sale are allowed. No goods or services shall be promoted, sold, or exchanged upon the
premises or by sample, pictures, or descriptions, unless specifically permitted by the
Library.
• Meeting space shall not be used for entrepreneurial or commercial purposes, or for the
solicitation of business —please see the Facilities Rental Policy regarding reservations to
for-profit businesses or individuals.
• Meeting space shall not be used for profit or for fundraising other than fundraising that
supports the Library.
• Groups using Library meeting space must not use advertising and publicity which imply
that their programs are sponsored, co-sponsored, endorsed or approved by the Library,
unless written permission to do so has been previously given by the Library.
• Reservations may be made no more than three months in advance.
• No group may consider the Library its permanent meeting place or use the Library as its
mailing address.
• The Library has the authority to accept, renew, or reject requests for use of the room
under the established policy.
• To promote the accessibility of the meeting space to a wide variety of community groups,
the Library may limit meetings for any particular organization.
• The Trustees of the Grafton Public Library and the Library staff reserve the right to reject
a reservation request if the anticipated meeting is likely to be unreasonably disruptive to
regular library functions, too large for the applicable room capacity, disorderly, dangerous
to persons or property, or in any other way inconsistent with or in contravention of any
of the terms and conditions of this policy. In determining whether such a likelihood exists,
the Trustees of the Grafton Public Library and/or the Library staff may take into
consideration the contents of the application form, the history of the group’s meeting
space use in the library, the history of the group’s use of meeting facilities elsewhere, and
such other information as they may deem appropriate.
• The Trustees of the Grafton Public Library and/or Library staff reserves the right to
determine, in its reasonable discretion, whether any proposed use of a meeting space will
require a police detail or other extraordinary police protection, and if so, the anticipated
cost thereof. In making this determination, the Trustees of the Grafton Public Library may
take into consideration the contents of the application form, the history of the group’s
meeting space uses in the library, the history of the group’s use of meeting facilities
elsewhere, and such other information as such the Board may deem appropriate and may
consult with members of the Grafton Police regarding this inquiry.
• If the Trustees of the Grafton Public Library and/or Library staff determines that such
police protection will be reasonably necessary, the group seeking to reserve the use of a
meeting space shall be required, as a condition of such reservation, to pay to the Grafton
Public Library by such date in advance of the meeting as Library staff reasonably sets, the
anticipated cost of such police protection, and such sum applied thereto, with any surplus
being returned to the group after the meeting. The group shall be liable to the Library for
any deficiency.
• Meetings must conform to the scheduled operating hours of the library. Exceptions may
be made upon request and with the organization paying in advance for the needed staff.
• All organizations or groups shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Grafton Public
Library and the Town of Grafton, its officers, agents, and employees from and against any
and all claims, suits, actions of any kind, arising and resulting and accruing from any
negligent act, omission or error of the organization or group resulting in or relating to
personal injuries or property damage arising from the organization/group’s use of the Library meeting room.
• The Grafton Public Library Board of Trustees delegates to the Library Director or his/her
designee the authority to develop and implement procedures which carry out the
provisions of this policy.
• Exceptions to the policy may be granted only by the Grafton Public Library Board of
Trustees or its delegate.
Companion Documents: Grafton Public Library Room Reservation Procedures, Facility Rental
Policy
Adopted, Board of Library Trustees: September 14, 2021
Tutoring Policy
The Grafton Public Library welcomes tutors and students, and ELL conversation partners (also referred to as
“tutors”). The Library recognizes the benefit of tutoring/conversation partners to the students, their
parents/guardians, and to the community, and permits private tutoring within the Library; however, the Library
must manage its limited space and resources in a way that best serves the needs of all users.
The Grafton Public Library does not provide direct tutoring services. The Grafton Public Library DOES provide
free access to Tutor.com via http://www.tutor.com/grafton for tutoring and resume assistance, 2pm-9pm
Monday-Sunday, at no charge to the community. Users must register a free account with their Grafton Public
Library card. The Grafton Public Library does not sponsor, recommend, or assume liability or responsibility for
the work and/or activities of these tutors or tutors who use Library space. All arrangements must be made
between the tutor and student/guardian.
The following policy is intended to provide a balance between the use of the Library by tutors and their students,
and the use of the Library by other members of the community.
• Meeting Rooms for tutoring must be booked by the student, not the tutor.
• Grafton residents/cardholders have priority for booking Meeting Rooms, including Tutoring Rooms and
Group Study Rooms.
• Tutoring Rooms (Children (0-12), Teen (12-18), and Tween (10-14) are for reserved for designated age
groups ONLY.
• Group Study 3, 4, and 6 are available for tutors and their students of any age at any time during regular
Library hours of operation unless a Library program requires use of the space.
• Group Study Rooms and Tutor Rooms may be booked up to two (2) weeks in advance.
• Group Study Rooms and Tutor Rooms may be available on a walk-up basis, and cannot be reserved for
more than two (2) days a week, or more than two (2) hours in a row.
• The Conference Room is available for up to two (2) tutor pairs of any age at any time during regular
Library hours of operation unless a Library program or previous booking requires use of the space.
• IF no tutoring or group study rooms are available and the Community Room is available, Community
Room A/B will be made available for communal tutoring space/conversation practice space for all ages
unless a Library program or previous booking requires use of the space. Capacity is 6-12 tables for up to
6 people each.
• Tutoring is discouraged in the following public spaces: Teen/Tween Room, Children’s Room, Historic
Reading Room, Large Print/New Book or Adult Stacks, Friends Corner. Tutors in these public spaces may
be asked to relocate to a Tutoring room or Group Study room.
• Tutors and students must be conscious of other Library patrons and comply with the Library’s Code of
Conduct, which prohibits behavior that is disruptive to other Library patrons.
• Guardians must adhere to the Library’s Unattended Child Policy by remaining sight-adjacent to their
child ages 0-7; and in the Library building with their child ages 8-12 during tutor sessions for children 12
and under.
• The Library reserves the right to restrict or ban tutoring at any time without prior notice if space
resources are monopolized or if such activities interfere with the use of the Library by others.
Compiled and voted by Board of Library Trustees
Adopted: August 25, 2021