Meeting Rooms & Study Rooms

Are you a tutor?

Are you an individual needing to study?

Are you a group looking to book a meeting room?

Tutoring Policy

The Patchogue-Medford Library recognizes the benefit to the students and parents of the community of permitting tutoring within the Library. Tutors are individuals who provide instruction to others.

The following procedures are 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. In order to assure that tutoring within the Library is in line with the Library’s service to the community.
The following guidelines must be observed:

The Library is not to be used as office space or a place whereby a tutor may operate a private business.
Tutors and their students are required to follow all Library policies and regulations.
Children under 10 years of age who are tutored in the library are the responsibility of the tutor while on library property.
Tutors may not solicit Library patrons in the Library and may not publish or distribute advertisements or letters indicating the Library as their place of doing business or otherwise imply Library sponsorship of their activities.
Study rooms, tables and chairs located in the library are available for use by tutors on a first-come, first-served basis during Library operating hours.

Noncompliance with the above guidelines will result in tutors and students being asked to leave the Library.

Library staff reserves the right to ask tutoring to cease if it unduly interferes with the use of the Library by other community members.

The library is not obligated to accommodate any tutor on a regularly scheduled basis.

Approved by the Board of Trustees May 2018

Study Room Regulations

We want to make usage of our Study Rooms, including the Conference Room at the Medford Library, as easy for you as possible, but like any scarce resource, sometimes demand will exceed supply. These regulations help ensure fair use to our community.

Study rooms are not available for reservation and are available on a first come, first serve basis for a maximum of two hours a day with additional time granted if no one else is waiting.
Study Rooms may not be used for any commercial purposes.
Personal belongings should not be left unattended.
Please observe occupancy limits for each Study Room.
Study Rooms must be vacated at least 15 minutes before Library closing.
Individuals using Library Study Rooms must adhere to all other Library policies.

Meeting Room Policy

Please fill out this form to book a meeting room for your group or call DeeDee at 631-654-4700 x219.

GENERAL POLICY:

While the primary function of the Library’s meeting rooms is to serve as a venue for Library sponsored services, programs and activities, members of the public may apply to use a meeting room for meetings, public gatherings or exhibits of a civic, cultural, or educational character. Meeting rooms are available free of charge by in-district groups. The Board of Trustees reserves the right to charge a custodial/security fee to out-of-district groups.

All meetings must be open and free of charge to the public.
No admittance fee may be charged, contributions solicited, nor may collections be made.
The meeting rooms may not be used for the advancement of commercial or profit-making enterprises, including the selling of products or services or taking of orders of any kind.
Educational courses conducted by non-profit groups may charge fees for learning materials or course credits.
Use of the facilities will not be granted for recruiting events or fund-raising purposes, except as may be permissible under law and with the explicit consent of the Library Board of Trustees.

Study rooms are not available for reservation and are available on a first come, first serve basis for a maximum of two hours a day with additional time granted if no one else is waiting. Groups of two to three can be accommodated in other available library space and are generally are not scheduled for meeting room use. Meeting rooms are not intended for private parties and/or celebrations, but non-profit groups and the public may apply to rent space for a private event at the Carnegie Library for a fee when the Carnegie Library is not needed for library purposes. Fees for private events will vary depending on type and duration of the event but will ensure, at a minimum, coverage of all Library staff and operating costs. Additional insurance may be required.

The Library strives for equitable access to its resources and does not discriminate in making its premises available for use based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, culture or ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, individual lifestyle, political affiliation, or physical limitation; however, meeting rooms may not be used to conduct religious worship. The views or opinions expressed by individuals or groups utilizing the Library’s meeting rooms shall not be construed as the views or opinions of the Library or any of its officers or employees. The Library retains the right to monitor all meetings, programs, and events conducted on the premises.

Final interpretation of these policies rests with the Board of Trustees and is to be implemented by the Library Director. The Library reserves the right to revoke meeting room privileges at any time.

GROUP RESPONSIBILITIES:

The applicant or organization using the Library’s facilities assumes full responsibility for the preservation of order and safety in the building and the liability for damage to or loss of Library property because of the meeting. If you have any concerns with the room’s condition upon arrival, please report them to a Library employee before beginning your reservation. The Library Board assumes no responsibility for personal property left on the premises or for personal injury.

Organizations composed of minors must have at least one adult supervisor for each 10 minors, and one adult must be designated as the person in charge. All state and local regulations affecting the use of public buildings must be observed at all times with attendance must be limited to the stated capacity of the room. The group must alert the audience to the nearest exits from the meeting room and how to evacuate the building in event of an emergency. The following instructions can be altered depending on which room is being used:

Before we begin our program, I would like to review some safety precautions. In the event of fire or other emergency in the building, you are instructed to evacuate the building via the nearest exit. You have several means of exit from this area. (Point out emergency exits.)

In Main: Once out of the building, please go east to the Capital One Plaza and await further instructions.

In Medford and Carnegie: Once out of the building, please go to the far side of the parking lot and await further instructions

The elevator is not to be used during an emergency evacuation of the building.

The group is responsible for ensuring that the group abides by the Library’s policies. Permission to use the meeting room may be denied at a later date to any group that proves to be disorderly or that violates any law, library policy, or regulation. Repeat offenses may result in the group losing permission to use meeting rooms in the future. Failure to fulfill these conditions will result in denial of requests for further use of the meeting rooms and/or cancellation of regularly scheduled meetings.

APPLYING:

Each request is considered on an individual basis according to the overall number of requests pending, availability of rooms, and library priorities. Library sponsored programs and activities take precedence in assignment of meeting rooms and may supersede any non-Library programs scheduled.

Rooms can be booked in person, online, by telephone, or by mail. All bookings for a meeting room should be made at least two weeks before the scheduled meeting.
Applications may be held at certain times of year to allow staff time to book. Applications are not considered approved until the application form has been signed by a library representative and returned to the applicant.
Organizations meeting regularly in the Library building (monthly, weekly, etc.) must renew their reservations every six months.
Because the Library encourages use of the rooms by many groups, meeting rooms may be booked no more than two months in advance and may be used no more than once a week on a continuing basis.
Use of the piano in the Main Library or the Medford Branch must be scheduled in advance by submitting a meeting room use application. Use of the piano is limited to one hour per week. Combined Meeting Rooms A and B (Main) and North and South (Medford) must be scheduled for use of the piano.
The Library reserves the right to assign rooms according to space requirements of the organization. The Library further reserves the right to cancel any meetings because of adverse weather conditions or for reasons of an emergency nature.
No group will be permitted use of the rooms if that usage would be disruptive of the programs and activities of the Library.
The Director may deny use of the meeting room or cancel a scheduled event or meeting if in the judgment of the Director adequate security cannot be maintained or the event will disrupt the normal operation of the Library. If additional security is required, all additional costs incurred will be passed on to the applicant.

RULES AND REGULATIONS:

All meetings are open meetings. Groups meeting on library premises may find that non-members enter their meetings. Non-members may be informed of the nature of the meeting, but they may not be excluded if they wish to remain.
All publicity for non-Library sponsored meetings must clearly indicate the name of the sponsoring agency. No printed or electronic advertisement or announcement implying such endorsement is permitted, nor is the use of the Library’s logo. The Library shall not be identified or implied as a sponsor without the specific written consent of the Board of Trustees or the Library Director as their delegate.
The Library’s address may not be used by any non-Library related group to send or retrieve mail, etc.
The Library’s telephone numbers may not be used by any non-Library related group for any purpose. No incoming telephone calls for members of any non-Library related organization will be handled by the Library staff.
Any food or drink to be served during meeting room use must be listed on the application.
Smoking and consumption of alcoholic beverages are not permitted.
Meetings must end at least 15 minutes before closing; room must be completely cleaned up by the time of closing unless other arrangements have been made.
The Library should be notified of cancellations in advance (at least 48 hours for large groups).
Although the Library does not charge a fee for the use of the meeting rooms, the group will be billed for violations of this policy, such as use of the meeting room extending beyond Library hours, excessive cleanup and/or damages. Repeat offenses may result in the group losing permission to use meeting rooms in the future.

LIABILITY:

Whenever library buildings are used, there is the possibility that persons may be injured and may bring legal action against the Library Board of Trustees and/or the contracting group for personal liability. The Library Board of Trustees carries a public liability insurance policy to protect the Library in case any person injured on Library property brings legal action. It is possible that groups using the property may be sued for personal injury. Each organization should protect itself from legal action because of injury by having a temporary insurance policy. The applicant agrees to hold the Patchogue-Medford Library, its representatives, agents, servants, and employees harmless and to indemnify the Library for all claims, lawsuits, fees, or costs that may arise from the applicant’s use of Library facilities.

Adopted by the Board of Trustees 1981; Revised May 19, 2026.