Versions Compared

Key

  • This line was added.
  • This line was removed.
  • Formatting was changed.

Library Venues

Board Room & Gallery (Room #767)Photo

Size: 1400 sq. ft.

Capacity:

  • with 8 conference tables in rectangle (standard): 30 chairs around the table, a total of 54 chairs are available.
  • with 16 conference tables in rectangle (as in photo at right): 32, plus 30 chairs on sides and back of room.  Fire Code max capacity with table setup = 93.
  • with theater-style seating: 100 seated.
  • with dinner seating: 48 at 8 round tables.

Restrictions:

  • Total 7th floor capacity may not exceed 320 per Fire Code.
  • Posters, signs, etc., may not be attached to the walls, columns or doors; event organizers should arrange for easels for displays.
  • No meeting may start prior to 8:00 a.m. Food Service staff may enter the building no earlier than 7:30 a.m.  Breakfast and lunch meetings using plastic service should be scheduled no earlier than 15 minutes after Library opening time; if plates and silverware are used, meals should be scheduled no earlier than 30 minutes after opening time. Similar limitations apply to lunches on Saturday and Sunday. Consult Library schedule.
  • If events require the Library to be open beyond its regularly scheduled hours, the additional time open will be billed to the event sponsor at the rate of at least $40/hour, in one hour increments, for staffing costs.

  • These spaces are reserved for meetings which require prestige and elegance. Library, Humanities Center, and Honors College meetings which would not fit in other Library spaces may also take place on the 7th floor.

    Expand
    titleSee examples

    Types of meetings which may be booked:

    • President's and Provost's meetings, and other meetings sponsored by the campus administration

    • Fundraising for UMBC; Institutional Advancement events

    • Alumni or Community Relations

    • Campus-wide lectures and forums with possible off-campus involvement provided that they fall within normal Library hours, e.g. Humanities Forum Recruitment of special groups of potential students, faculty or staff

    • Library, Humanities Center or Honors College meetings, including meetings of campus Honors associations and classes invited for bibliographic instruction or to view special collections materials.

    • Campus senates, department chairs meetings, and other governance-related meetings.

    Examples of meetings which would NOT qualify:

    • Routine staff meetings, club meetings, course seminars, departmental meetings, lunches for job candidates, social events and brown-bag lunches except when sponsored by the groups or offices listed above

    • Vendor or employment fairs, meetings with purposes more suited to The Commons, the University Center, the Faculty/Staff Dining Hall, or another campus location

    • Events whose noise would disturb Library users in stacks or study areas

    • Meetings with anticipated attendance of fewer than 20 people.

    • If meetings do not require the high profile of the Library spaces, they should be booked into other spaces.

Image Removed
Open Area (Conference Room #750)Photo

Size: 1521 sq. ft.

Capacity:

  • with dinner seating (estimated - capacity may be reduced depending upon the size, shape and arrangement of tables): 120 at up to 15 round tables, (up to 8 per table). Fire Code max capacity with table setup = 101.
  • for receptions - no seating with food table(s): 217. Fire Code max capacity, without tables = 217.
  • with theater-style seating (est.): 125. Fire Code max capacity, without tables = 217.

Restrictions:

  • Total 7th floor capacity may not exceed 320 per Fire Code.
  • Posters, signs, etc., may not be attached to the walls, columns or doors; event organizers should arrange for easels for displays.
  • No meeting may start prior to 8:00 a.m. Food Service staff may enter the building no earlier than 7:30 a.m.  Breakfast and lunch meetings using plastic service should be scheduled no earlier than 15 minutes after Library opening time; if plates and silverware are used, meals should be scheduled no earlier than 30 minutes after opening time. Similar limitations apply to lunches on Saturday and Sunday. Consult Library schedule.
  • If events require the Library to be open beyond its regularly scheduled hours, the additional time open will be billed to the event sponsor at the rate of at least $40/hour, in one hour increments, for staffing costs.

  • These spaces are reserved for meetings which require prestige and elegance. Library, Humanities Center, and Honors College meetings which would not fit in other Library spaces may also take place on the 7th floor.

    Expand
    titleSee examples

    Types of meetings which may be booked:

    • President's and Provost's meetings, and other meetings sponsored by the campus administration

    • Fundraising for UMBC; Institutional Advancement events

    • Alumni or Community Relations

    • Campus-wide lectures and forums with possible off-campus involvement provided that they fall within normal Library hours, e.g. Humanities Forum Recruitment of special groups of potential students, faculty or staff

    • Library, Humanities Center or Honors College meetings, including meetings of campus Honors associations and classes invited for bibliographic instruction or to view special collections materials.

    • Campus senates, department chairs meetings, and other governance-related meetings.

    Examples of meetings which would NOT qualify:

    • Routine staff meetings, club meetings, course seminars, departmental meetings, lunches for job candidates, social events and brown-bag lunches except when sponsored by the groups or offices listed above

    • Vendor or employment fairs, meetings with purposes more suited to The Commons, the University Center, the Faculty/Staff Dining Hall, or another campus location

    • Events whose noise would disturb Library users in stacks or study areas

    • Meetings with anticipated attendance of fewer than 20 people.

    • If meetings do not require the high profile of the Library spaces, they should be booked into other spaces.

Image Removed
President's Room (Room #768)Photo

Size: 445 sq. ft.

Capacity:

  • seating at conference table (as in photo at right): 12 (14 can be squeezed in around the table, and another 6 elsewhere). Fire Code max capacity = 29.

Restrictions:

  • Total 7th floor capacity may not exceed 320 per Fire Code.
  • Bookings must be approved through the President's Office
  • Posters, signs, etc., may not be attached to the walls, columns or doors; event organizers should arrange for easels for displays.
  • No meeting may start prior to 8:00 a.m. Food Service staff may enter the building no earlier than 7:30 a.m.  Breakfast and lunch meetings using plastic service should be scheduled no earlier than 15 minutes after Library opening time; if plates and silverware are used, meals should be scheduled no earlier than 30 minutes after opening time. Similar limitations apply to lunches on Saturday and Sunday. Consult Library schedule.
  • If events require the Library to be open beyond its regularly scheduled hours, the additional time open will be billed to the event sponsor at the rate of at least $40/hour, in one hour increments, for staffing costs.

Image Removed
Gallery Presentation Space (1st floor)Photo

Size: 1064 sq. ft. carpeted area, and some spillover into the center of the Gallery

Capacity:

  • with theater seating: 125. Fire Code max for carpeted area = 152; max for 4,992 sq. ft. Gallery area = 713.
  • for receptions - no seating, with food table(s): 200 (using Gallery space; greater capacities are possible, but only when exhibitions and/or furniture are removed)

Restrictions:

  • No bookings during scheduled Gallery open hours: normally, M-W, F: 10 am - 4:30 pm, Th: 10 am - 8 pm, Sat: 12 noon - 5 pm; closed when Library is closed.
  • Must be used as location of last resort when other campus spaces are unable to accommodate event; otherwise the restrictions on use of 7th floor spaces apply.
  • There is a charge for the use of this space. Event & Conference Services will call the Library's Curator of Exhibitions or Chief Curator for confirmation of acceptability before booking.
  • Audio will not reach, reliably, more than about 10 feet beyond the carpeted area, so people seated behind the first 125 may not be able to hear presentations.
  • No meeting may start prior to 8:00 a.m. Food Service staff may enter the building no earlier than 7:30 a.m.  Breakfast and lunch meetings using plastic service should be scheduled no earlier than 15 minutes after Library opening time; if plates and silverware are used, meals should be scheduled no earlier than 30 minutes after opening time. Similar limitations apply to lunches on Saturday and Sunday. Consult Library schedule.
  • If events require the Library to be open beyond its regularly scheduled hours, the additional time open will be billed to the event sponsor at the rate of at least $40/hour, in one hour increments, for staffing costs.

Image Removed
Atrium (Library Entrance)Photo
  • This space is not available for meetings. However, exceptional events which have relevance to the Library mission and require a high traffic site may be booked here, provided that they do not interfere with the mission of the Library.
  • Event & Conference Services will forward request forms for this space to the Library Administration for case-by-case decisions. If the event is appropriate to be held at the University Center, it will not be approved for the Library Atrium. 
Image Removed
Plaza (outdoor area in front of the Library entrance)Photo
  • Event & Conference Services will forward request forms for this space to the Library Administration for case-by-case decisions. Bookings which would conflict with the Library mission, or which interfere with the aesthetics or accessibility of the Library will not be approved. Commercial bookings will not be approved.
  • Only events sponsored by the campus administration may use sound equipment in this area, due to the interference from noise in the Plaza with study in the Library.
  • Plaza event sponsors are responsible for clean-up and restoration of the area.
  • Requests must detail their need for electricity.
 

 

Booking Procedures

Please check with The Commons campus scheduling and guest services office (at 410-455-3615 or schedule@umbc.edu) to confirm current procedures.

  1. Complete a campus Facilities Request Form via 25Live and submit it to Event & Conference Services at least ten days prior to the event.
    1. Each organization booking a space must provide the name of a contact person who takes responsibility for the event and an events coordinator, i.e. someone who can be called if problems develop, verify that preparations have been completed, be present at the event, remain on site during the event, lock the meeting room doors and notify Library Security Staff (or Circulation Desk staff if the security officer is away from the desk) when the room is cleared.
  2. Event & Conference Services approves requests which clearly fit within guidelines and do not conflict with other events, but refers borderline cases to Library Administration for approval. Events are booked on a first-come, first-served basis.
    1. Events for the same space or contiguous spaces will not be scheduled within two hours of each other, in order to allow for set-up, break-down, and clean-up.
    2. Evening events will block booking of the same space until 10 a.m. the following morning. Morning events will block booking of events the previous evening.   Weekend events will block any additional, subsequently booked weekend events, due to unavailability of staff for cleaning, set-up and breakdown, unless requester can make alternative arrangements for these services.
    3. Note: Bookings in any one of the three 7th floor spaces may require that the other 7th floor spaces cannot be booked for concurrent events. (e.g., if 767 is booked for one event, we cannot book the open area for a different event).
  3. Event & Conference Services sends approved requests online within one work day to Library Administrative Offices. Event & Conference Services and the Library staff are NOT responsible for assuring that arrangements are in place; the requester is responsible for all arrangements.
  4. Library Administration enters event in Library reservation book, files copies of approved event forms, arranges for any needed additional Library staff coverage and issues internal schedules of events to relevant Library staff.
  5. The requester or the designated event coordinator personally verifies that event preparations from service units have been completed prior to the event. Library staff cannot monitor preparations nor complete them on behalf of the event coordinator.

Preparation & Set-up

  • Library staff is NOT responsible for set-up or general event support merely by their presence in the building. Event sponsors should arrange for event support from the Student Work Force, Food Services, Library Audio Visual Services, etc.
    • To arrange furniture set-up: Set-up and breakdown fees are charged to event sponsors by Student Work Force. Forms for specified set ups should be completed accordingly.
    • To arrange catering: The Event & Conference Services website has caterer contact information.
    • To arrange AV Services: Arrange for computer equipment and audio visual equipment, including microphone and podium through the Library A/V Equipment Rental Form. Please note that fees charged for equipment contribute to the Library's costs incurred in supplying and supporting equipment; there is no other funding allocated to the Library for this purpose.
  • If the room for a scheduled event is locked, event sponsors may sign out room keys from the Library Security Desk on the first floor. The person responsible for the meeting should pick up the key to unlock the room and return the key immediately. Then, following the meeting, the responsible person should close the blinds, lock the rooms using the latch, and notify library staff at the security desk that the meeting is over.

Cancellations & Changes

  • Cancellation or changes must be emailed to schedule@umbc.edu.  It is the responsibility of the department to contact Student Workforce and other service providers (AV/Caterers, etc) of any changes or cancellations.
  • Costs associated with canceled meetings will be billed to meeting requester if the Library and other service units do not receive notification of cancellation at least 24 Monday-Friday hours (i.e., not during the weekend) in advance of event.

 

Guideline drafted: 9/8/95
Revised: 2/21/96,1/26/98, 3/14/03, 10/6-8/04, 6/23/05, 8/26/05 LW 9/14/06 ld, 11/15/06 photos added LW, 4/27/07 rev. re. table config in 767 LW, 10/22/15 SNThis Guideline has been replaced by a webpage: https://library.umbc.edu/usingthelibrary/hosting.php 

Please update your bookmarks!