CLUBS POLICY
The Hillsdale Free Public Library (the “Library”) recognizes the importance of social interaction as it relates to the health and well-being of the community. To that end, the Library seeks to partner with community volunteers to broaden the scope of activities that take place in the Library to promote social interaction. The Library supports clubs for the explicit purpose of fostering community connections through social engagement and shared interests.
Examples include game playing, book discussions, art & craft instruction, subject matter interest, or other hobbies. All clubs are bound by and subject to the Library’s Meeting Room and Rules of Conduct policies.
This policy defines the roles and responsibilities of club leadership and Library personnel. The use of Library spaces and personal behavior shall be consistent with the Library’s
Meeting Room policy and Rules of Conduct policy.
Clubs must be for social, educational, charitable or other purposes consistent with the Library’s Mission Statement. Clubs may not be established for the commercial benefit of any individual organizer(s) or to promote a political candidate(s), to advocate for a political issue or party, or for any unlawful purpose. The Approval of a club to meet at the Library does not indicate that the Library agrees with the viewpoints or positions of the club or its members.
Proposals
Proposals for the establishment of a club shall be submitted to the Library Director for consideration and approval. Denied proposals may be appealed to the Library Board. The Library Board’s decision shall be final and binding on the Library and the individual(s) who submitted the proposal.
The Library will not discriminate in approving any club application based on the racial, religious, ancestry, or other protected demographic characteristic, culture, social, political or other characteristics of the individual(s) submitting a proposal for establishment of a club or the proposed membership of a club.
Conduct Statement
Clubs that meet at the Hillsdale Free Public Library shall be open to any individual. Clubs shall not charge admission for any individual to attend club meetings, but may collect to cover out of pocket costs or specific activities. Any excess funds collected or donations received by or for a particular club shall be given to and held by the Library as specifically designated funds for each club.
All members of a club must abide by the Library’s Rules of Conduct Policy. Limitation on club size may be permitted if necessary to ensure available room occupancy is not exceeded. Priority shall be given to Library cardholders. Clubs intended for juvenile participants are limited to juveniles and their responsible caregiver(s). In the event of limited resources, priority shall be given to Hillsdale residents.
Leadership
One or two members of a prospective club shall be designated as the responsible leader(s). One of the leaders[MY1] must be a Hillsdale resident. Club leader(s) shall coordinate dates, times, and facilities with Library personnel. Club leader(s) shall coordinate all communication with participating members and designated Library personnel. Club leader(s) shall handle inquiries from the public.
Attendance statistics shall be reported to the Library by means of email and or a statistical form provided by the Library for that purpose.
Clubs intended for juvenile participants must be led by a responsible parent or guardian of one of the juvenile participants.
Resources
The Library may provide space, tables, chairs, audio and visual equipment to the established clubs, as requested. Additional resources in support of a particular activity, such as playing cards or game boards, which are funded by the Library, the Friends of the Library, or the Library Foundation, remain the property of the Library.
Club participants are responsible for setting up and restoring tables, chairs, or other equipment to their original positions and locations.
Refreshments will not be provided by the Library. However, club members may enjoy refreshments provided by other club members. Club members are responsible for cleaning up rooms and any materials, equipment and resources provided by the Library.
Activities must be scheduled when the Library is open to the public and/or Library personnel are present.
Promotion
Club activities will be promoted primarily on the Library’s public calendar and
website. Individual website posts will include a description of the club and name(s) of club leader(s). Promotion of club activities will be periodically included in Library Constant Contact distributions and social media feeds.
The Library will maintain an email address, clubs@hfpl.org, to capture inquiries to be forwarded to club leaders. Leaders’ names will be public information, but telephone numbers and personal email addresses will not be publicized or released and will be maintained as a confidential library record.
Frequency & Conflicts
The frequency of club meetings may vary to avoid potential conflicts with other Library activities.
Library resources are limited. If the Library requires a room, space, materials, equipment and/or resources at a time normally utilized by a club, the Library will notify club leadership of the conflict and cancellation of club activity or limitation based on such unavailability. Any issues or conflicts that arise and cannot be resolved among club participants and leadership shall be reported to the Library Director. Decisions made by the Library Director may be appealed to the Library Board. The Library Board’s decision shall be final and binding on the Library and the individual(s).
The Library Board shall review this policy periodically. This policy may be amended at any time at the Library Board’s discretion.
Policy adopted on October 20, 2025