DISPLAY AND EXHIBIT POLICY AND PROCEDURES

Recognizing the Berkshire Athenaeum exists to initiate, nurture and feed a passion for knowledge and learning, the library makes display and exhibit space available to the public and subscribes to the equitable use of its facilities in a manner consistent with the American Library Association's EXHIBIT SPACES AND BULLETIN BOARDS: AN INTERPRETATION OF THE LIBRARY BILL OF RIGHTS (appended).  The use of the Athenaeum is not restricted by the content of presentation, or belief or affiliations of the sponsors.  The Athenaeum's display and exhibit spaces are available to the public on an equitable basis, provided that such displays do not conflict with regular library services and programs, and that they conform to the policies and procedural guidelines outlined below.

There is no charge for the use of the library's display facility, and permission to a group to use the Athenaeum facilities does not in any way constitute or imply endorsement of its beliefs, policies or programs by any library official or by the Board of Trustees.

Organizations or individuals that violate the terms of the library's display and exhibit guidelines may be refused future use of the facility.

1.         PUBLIC NOTICE BULLETIN BOARDS:

1.a.      Small bulletin boards attached to the concrete posts at the Children’s Library and adult Circulation Department service desks.  These spaces are for the exclusive use of library in promoting library, Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum, or Berkshire Family History Association events. 

1.b.      Two bulletin board locations in the Athenaeum where the public is invited to have notices posted:

1.b.1.   Children’s Library location: The first location is in the Bartlett Avenue entrance to the library.  There are two boards, one (48” X 72”) is located in the foyer and the other (48” X 96”) is located in the hallway by the security gates. 
1.b.2.   Adult Service location: The second location is to the right of the doors to the Circulation Department and is 96” X 96” inches. 

1.c.      These boards are available for public notices of community interest to non‑profit, advocacy and/or civic organizations sponsoring charitable, cultural, educational and/or recreational events, and profit making groups sponsoring these types of events in the public interest.

1.d.      One small bulletin board (48” X 30”) in the Local History Department is available for public notices targeted exclusively to local history or genealogical interests. 

1.e.      Prior to posting, all notices must be brought to the attention of a circulation department librarian for the adult service board, or a children's librarian for the Bartlett Avenue entrance boards. Each notice must include the name, address and phone number of a contact person.

1.f.       There is no limit to the number of different notices an individual or organization may post at the library in the course of a given year.

1.g.      Notices may remain posted for as long as the information is current.

1.h.      Notices posted become library property and will be disposed of when the information no longer is current or at the discretion of the library staff.  Persons wishing to reclaim posted materials may do so by special prearrangement with the head of the Children’s or Circulation Departments, as appropriate.

1.i.       Those notices posted in violation of this policy will be removed and discarded.

1.j.       Arrangement of the boards is the responsibility of library staff.
 

2.         MISCELLANEOUS DISPLAYS:

2.a.      ARTWORK: The Athenaeum does not provide for the regular exhibit of artwork at the library.  The Berkshire Artisans is better equipped and staffed for gallery exhibitions and should be given the opportunity to coordinate displays of this nature.

2.b.      SCULPTURE: The Athenaeum grounds have hosted placements of sculpture as part of larger shows displayed in the greater downtown Pittsfield area.  In general, the Athenaeum does not provide a venue for the public display of sculpture outside of these larger shows, nor does library administration or trustees take an active role in jurying such artwork for public display.

2.b.      DISPLAY CASES: The Athenaeum owns a number of glass display cases located throughout the library:

2.b.1.   Blake Memorial Reading Room has two cases (60” X 28” X 6”) which are the primary cases that may be used by the public.  Displays arranged by the public should include, if practical, a selection of library materials on the same or related subjects.
2.b.2.   Local History Department has a flat case (60” X 27” X 7”) targeted to exhibits of a historical nature.
2.b.3.   Berkshire Authors Room has two cases that are (40” X 13” X 56”) and are dedicated to displays of historic or literary materials.
2.b.4.   “Friends Store”: There are two cases (40” X 13” X 56”), one located in the Blake Reading Room at the entrance to the Circulation Department, and the second located in the Bartlett Avenue entrance, dedicated specifically to the “Friends Store”, a modest retail operation sponsored by the Friends of the Berkshire Athenaeum as a fund raising mechanism for the library.  The cabinets are used to display the inventory of items for sale by the Friends.
2.b.5.   Requests for the use of the display cases by the public should be directed to the appropriate Circulation or Local History Department representative.

2.c.      FREESTANDING DISPLAY PANELS: The library has six freestanding display panels (68” X 50”). Items adhere to the panels using Velcro adhesive tabs.

2.c.1.   Panels are exclusively for the display of materials inside the library. The panels are not available for loan outside the building.
2.c.2.   Installation supplies, specifically the Velcro tabs, are the responsibility of the person or organization mounting the display.
2.c.3.   Placement of panels within the library is the responsibility of library employees, taking into account safety, sightlines and traffic patterns.

2.d.      OTHER DISPLAY AREAS:

2.d.1.   The tops of low bookcases and table-tops have been used as display space.  Windows, especially in the Children’s Library, have been used for the display of paper artwork.
2.d.2.   Used primarily for library sponsored displays, the cases, tops of bookcases, windows and available wall spaces are intended for thematic displays in the public interest, and the space is occasionally made available to nonprofit, advocacy, civic organizations and/or educational institutions with thematic displays that conform to the general guidelines of this policy.

2.e.      Displays should include a selection of library materials on the same or related subjects.

2.f.       Requests for the use of other display areas should be directed to the appropriate Circulation, Local History or Children's Department representative.

2.g.      Except for the “Friends Store”, library displays may not advertise the sale of items of a group sponsoring a given display, nor may a sponsoring organization receive monetary profit from the use of library display space.

2.h.      Pre-packaged Displays: The library occasionally gets requests to host a pre-packaged, freestanding display.  Space has been made available in the Blake Reading Room and in the quiet study area behind the Reference Department for such exhibits.  Requests may be approved depending upon space requirements and availability, time of year and/or library activity, and general conformance to these policy and procedures.

2.i.       Displays are generally placed for a period of up to four weeks.

2.j.       An organization may request display space for four weeks out of any twelve-month period.

2.k.      Because displays are often planned months in advance, organizations are advised to notify the library as far in advance as possible of their interest in placing an exhibit at the library.

2.l.       Displays placed in low traffic areas (i.e. Local History Department) may have announcement posters placed on the library bulletin boards attached to the concrete posts at the Children’s Library and adult Circulation Department service desks, which are located close to the library's entrances.  Arrangements should be made in advance with the librarian in charge of the exhibit space.

2.m.     For safety reasons, the library refrains from the use of freestanding easels.

2.n.      Every effort is made to assure the safety of displayed materials, but the library will assume no responsibility for the security of items on display.

2.o.      The library will not attempt to avoid controversial issues, but will invite proponents of opposing viewpoints to assure that both sides of an argument are covered.

3.         COMMUNITY INFORMATION AREA:

3.a.      The Athenaeum makes available to the public in the Community Information Area located in the Reference Department a selection of brochures, schedules, flyers, announcements or weekly newspapers which promote local public services, health, financial or consumer information, or cultural, educational and recreational activities that enrich the local quality of life. Such handouts may include, but are not limited to, bus schedules, state and federal tax forms, local college course schedules, theater and concert schedules, flyers for school fairs, and brochures which announce activities of area non‑profit, advocacy and/or civic organizations.

3.b.      The Athenaeum is a site for the distribution of tourist brochures on racks supplied for that purpose by the Berkshire Visitor’s Bureau and located in the Reference Department’s Community Information Area.

3.c.      Commercial advertising material will not be accepted, although local weekly newspapers or community newsletters that contain advertising will be accepted if they meet the criteria outlined in section "3.a" above.

3.d.      All materials must be brought to the attention of a reference librarian or other appropriate library staff person prior to being left in the community information areas.

3.e.      Because of limited space, the library reserves the right to limit the number of different publications accepted from one group at the same time.

3.f.       Because of limited storage space, the library reserves the right to limit the number of copies of any particular publication accepted for distribution through the community information areas.

3.g.      Publications will remain available for as long as they are current or until the supply is exhausted.

3.h.      Publications left in the community information areas become the property of the Athenaeum and may be disposed of when the information no longer is current or at the discretion of library staff.

3.i.       Publications placed in these areas in violation of this policy will be removed and discarded.

3.j.       Arrangement of the publications in the community information areas is the responsibility of library staff.

4.         SOLICITATIONS: Petitions, surveys, nomination papers and solicitations are restricted to outside the entrances to the library building. 

5.         APPEAL PROCEDURE: Any individual or organization denied use of the Athenaeum facility under the terms of this policy may appeal the decision of library staff to the library director.  Further appeal may be made to the Board of Trustees at its next regularly scheduled meeting.