Please call the library at 412-775-4700 or email us at phlibrary@pennhillslibrary.org for meeting room availability.
Click here to view our application to reserve a meeting room. Completed applications can be emailed to us or dropped off at the front desk. All applications must be approved by library staff.
Meeting Room Policy & Agreement
Penn Hills Library (PHL) provides welcoming meeting room spaces to foster community and learning within the guidelines that accompany this policy. The meeting rooms are library resources to promote the education, amusement, engagement, and enjoyment of our community.
The purpose of the Library’s meeting rooms is to: provide space for library programs and events; to fulfill the Library’s role as a community center where the public can attend informational, educational, cultural events; and to champion the principles of intellectual freedom by providing a forum for the free exchange of ideas.
PHL subscribes to the American Library Association Bill of Rights which states: “Libraries which make exhibit spaces and meeting rooms available to the public they serve should make such facilities available on an equitable basis, regardless of the beliefs or affiliations of individuals or groups requesting their use.”
General Use
Use of PHL’s meeting rooms does not constitute PHL’s endorsement of viewpoints expressed by participants in the program. Activities should not be publicized as to imply that PHL sponsors, co-sponsors, or endorses them.
All groups or individuals using a meeting room must adhere to PHL’s Code of Conduct.
Meetings and events must be self-contained and not disrupt regular library operations.
Attendance at any meeting or event may not exceed facility or room capacity. The room capacities are as follows:
- Meeting Rooms A/B – 25 people
- Community Room – 80 people
Meetings and events must take place entirely within available meeting room hours. This includes setup and breakdown for an event. The available meeting room hours are as follows:
- Monday – Thursday 10am to 7:30pm
- Friday & Saturday 10am to 4:30pm
Groups or individuals may not use PHL as their headquarters, including use of the address or phone number.
Groups or individuals are responsible for their own setup and breakdown of furniture and equipment within the time reserved. Breakdown includes removal of trash.
Groups or individuals may serve food or beverages with the exception of alcohol and open flames/sterno.
Meeting Room Equipment
Library equipment for use varies from room to room. If you wish to borrow specific library equipment, please notify a library staff member upon reservation of the room. Library staff will assist with setup of certain library equipment.
Groups using meeting rooms must bring equipment for their own use during meetings. PHL assumes no responsibility for any equipment, supplies, or materials that are brought to PHL, or for items that are reported lost, stolen, or left behind by any group or individual that is sponsoring or attending the meeting. In all cases PHL neither lends nor leases equipment for use outside of PHL.
Eligibility
First priority is given to library programs and meetings. Partner programs are given second priority; partners include organizations that regularly collaborate with the library. Partners are not guaranteed meeting room space. The remaining available times are available for use by groups or individuals on a first-come, first-served basis.
Scheduling
Meeting rooms are available for reservation within available meeting room hours Monday to Saturday. Available meeting room hours are as follows:
- Monday – Thursday 10am to 7:30pm
- Friday & Saturday 10am to 4:30pm
Library operating hours are as follows:
- Monday – Thursday 10 am to 8 pm
- Friday & Saturday – 10 am – 5 pm
Please note that the available meeting hours differ from our operating hours.
Room reservations for weekdays may be made up to three months in advance.
Room reservations for Saturdays must be made no sooner than 3 weeks in advance due to the popularity of our weekend library programming.
Reservations must be made by an adult who will be held responsible for any damage incurred to the building or equipment and must be in charge of any children/minors under age 18 attending the meeting or event.
A meeting room agreement form must be turned in and approved by a library staff member for approval before reservations will be confirmed. All approved agreement forms will be on file for the calendar year.
Library and Library-sponsored meetings have priority and PHL reserves the right to preempt any scheduled meeting. The Library will make every effort to give advance notices of such preemption.
Frequency of Use
The Library reserves the right to impose a limit on the frequency that meeting rooms are reserved by a group or individual.
To give all organizations an opportunity to use the meeting rooms, groups may only reserve space for three months at a time. To promote the accessibility of the meeting rooms to a wide variety of groups, the Library may limit the number or length of meetings during any time period for any applicant.
There is no automatic carryover of scheduled times to a succeeding three month period, but a reasonable effort will be made to maintain previous time slots, overall scheduling permitting.
Pay What You Wish
PHL’s mission is to provide quality services to our community, promoting our philosophy that the library should be a happy, safe place. As a result, we no longer require fixed rental rates for use of our meeting rooms. Instead, use of all PHL meeting rooms is offered to the public free of charge and we have transferred the power to our community by allowing you to choose a specific donation amount that feels good to you.
We know that you value the work PHL is doing as well as the spirit of participation that is part of our mission. Donations are always greatly appreciated, but not required. We hope that reserving our spaces will be simple and make you feel good.
Solicitation and Sales
PHL does not allow solicitation in our spaces or direct sales outside of certain approved community-based events. Vendors may provide business cards or fliers in the room but may not distribute or promote sales or fee-based services. Organizations or groups may not charge for attendance.
Event Reconsideration
In order to represent the diversity of thought within the community, it is very important that the public library’s spaces are available to those with differing points of view. The Penn Hills Library does not endorse specific beliefs or views, nor does granting use of our shared public spaces convey or imply an endorsement of the viewpoints expressed by any users.
There may be occasions when a member of the community objects to a group’s, organization’s or individual’s use of a meeting or event space in the Library. A committee of administrators is convened to review the meeting room reconsideration request. A written response will be sent to the community member and a copy of the reconsideration request along with the written response will be shared with the group, organization, or individual.
This policy will be reviewed annually.