[Publib] RE: Church groups and library meeting rooms

[Christopher F. Bowen]

I think that some folks are misreading the ALA Bill of Rights on Meeting
Room use. It does not suggest that a library give any special treatment
to religious groups, but only that all non-profit organizations must be
treated the same. If you make your meeting room available to any
non-profit on Sunday morning, you have to make it available to every
non-profit that qualifies for your meeting room. If you do not make your
meeting room available outside of normal hours, you don't have to do so
for a religious group. If you limit use by outside groups to not more
than once per month, that must apply to all outside groups. If the
membership of a group using the room must be at least 50% residents of
your service district, then the same applies to religious groups. ALA
does not sidestep the question, it pretty clearly states that the
subject of a meeting is not relevant. You don't ask the garden club the
topic of their monthly meeting - violets are ok, composting is not - why
would you  ask religious group?  If they are too noisy, they have to
quiet down or loose the privilege. So does the Great Decisions
discussion group, if their discussions of events in the Middle East gets
too loud. (Oops, does that make them a religious group?) Deal with the
behaviors, not the topic. It makes life much easier.

Christopher Bowen
Library Director
Downers Grove Public Library

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Subject: Re: [Publib] Re: Church groups and library meeting rooms...
 
The ALA interpretation  boldly sidestepped the issue of holding a
religious service which is decidedly different than a church
administrative meeting.