Meeting Rooms
The Peabody Public Library has a number of meeting rooms available for public use.
You can reserve them in person at the library, or on the phone by calling (260) 244-5541.
You are responsible to read and agree to the meeting room guidelines below before reserving a room. Rooms are available during library hours only. You must include setup and tear down time in your reservation.
PLEASE NOTE: Due to public use insurance requirements, no outside equipment is permitted in the meeting rooms! Including, but not limited to:
- Domestic or wild animals
- Bouncy Houses
- Toys that may cause injury
- Gymnastic Equipment
- Portable Trampolines
The library will provide tables, chairs, and technology equipment to go with the rooms.
The public meeting rooms are NOT to be used for private events which would be likely to interfere with normal library operations, including, but not limited to:
- Loud, amplified music
- Food preparation or substantial food service
- Use of public facilities like restrooms which would tend to exclude use by the public
- Consumption of alcoholic beverages
- Unsupervised minors
- Weddings or wedding receptions
By reserving a meeting room, one certifies that such prohibited activities will not be part of the scheduled event.
The library reserves the right to seek the assistance of law enforcement to immediately terminate any event which staff deems to interfere with normal library operations.
The following rules apply:
- Must be 18 years of age and present a valid photo ID to reserve a meeting room or any equipment.
- You may reserve up to one year in advance of the intended date of use, unless an exception is made by the Director or the Librarian in charge. Reservations are on a first come, first serve basis. Reservations must be scheduled at least 2 days in advance, unless an exception made is by the Director or the Librarian in charge.
- Reservations may be called in, made in person at the library, or completed online. To complete the reservation process, the responsible party must come to the library and sign a Meeting Room Liability Agreement.
- Cancellation requests must be made 24 hours in advance.
- No group may assign its reservation to another group.
- Certain types of meetings will have scheduling priority over others as indicated below:
- Library business or activities, such as Board meetings, staff meetings, story times, summer reading program activities, and seasonal parties.
- Non-library groups will be scheduled on a first come, first serve basis
- Smoking is neither permitted in the Peabody Public Library building nor within 8 feet of any door.
- The use of alcoholic beverages is not permitted in the Peabody Public Library Building.
- No red, orange, grape or dyed drinks are permitted.
- All food and related refuse must be removed from the Library premises immediately after the event. No food may be left or stored in the meeting rooms for future meetings.
Please Note:
- The Library does not assume responsibility for the security of personal items.
- Individual groups are responsible for returning the meeting rooms to the state originally found.
- Groups will be responsible for turning off lights, utilities and moving trash bags to the dumpster.
- Each group must furnish their own supplies and refreshments.
- If a room is divided and 2 groups are meeting at the same time, each group is expected to respect the rights and comforts of the other.
- It is the responsibility of the user to notify the library of cancellation of event at least 24 hours in advance.
- Failure to vacate the meeting rooms by the time specified on the reservation form will result in loss of meeting room privileges.
- Use of long-lasting flames is prohibited. This does not apply to candles on a cake.
- If additional security is deemed necessary by the Library, it is the responsibility of the reserving group to pay for it.
- If there is a problem, the group should contact library staff.
Parts of these policies have been modified to include hyperlinks, extra information, and other web-friendly additions. For our current library policy wording as approved by the library board, please see the Peabody Library Policies Manual found here.
Meeting Room Liability Agreement
PLEASE NOTE: Meeting room users are responsible for damages to facilities and equipment and for provision of clean up. Any damage to Library property is the responsibility of the meeting room user. Should a user damage the facilities and/or equipment of the Peabody Public Library, they shall be responsible to pay the cost of repair or replacement and/or cost of cleanup. Should a user fail to pay and the Peabody Public Library must resort to the court to collect any debt owed, they shall be responsible for reasonable attorney fees and all court costs incurred.
No Reservation Required Meeting Rooms
The Peabody Public Library has a small but growing collection of materials pertaining to local genealogy and history. The collection of materials can be found in our "Indiana Room" located right beside the Circulation Desk.
The following are some of the information available in our Indiana Room:
- Obituary indexes to newspapers, 1856 - 1910, 1983 - present
- Microfilm of Columbia City newspaper, 1859 - present
- Microfilm of Whitley County census, 1840 - 1920 except for 1890
- DAR pioneer records
- Whitley County Historical Bulletin, 1958-present
- Whitley County & Columbia City historical vertical file
- Columbia City directories
- Whitley County & Columbia City phone books
- Plat maps
- Cemetery inscription records
- Donated family histories
- Columbia City High School yearbooks, 1909-present
- Whitley County death records, 1882-1920
- Whitley County histories
- Various county histories
- Marriage records, 1838-1860, 1884-1898
- Works of local author Lloyd C. Douglas
- Works of Thomas Marshall, former governor and Vice President
- Information on Little Turtle, local Miami chief
We also have a VHS to DVD Dubbing Machine that resides in the Indiana Room. It is available on a first come, first serve basis. Anyone can use this machine to copy a VHS tape to a DVD+R recordable DVD. Please ask any of our staff for assistance. The following rules apply:
- You may ONLY copy your own HOME videos. No Copyrighted material is allowed.
- You must use a DVD+R recordable DVD. A DVD-R will not work.
- Videos are copied in real time. The staff is not responsible for your materials if you leave them unattended during this process.
For a closer look at Whitley County genealogy and history, stop by our Whitley County room, located in the back section of the Indiana Room. There we have microfilm readers. Patrons can request microfilm to view from the Information Desk and print articles for 25 cents a page.
Our microfilm collection consists of the following:
- City Directories of the United States, Fort Wayne IN: 1861 - 1871
- Columbia City Commercial: January 2, 1879 - January 18, 1905
- Columbia City Commercial Mail: April 4, 1918 - December 31, 1919
- Columbia City Daily Commercial Mail: January 1, 1920 - December 31, 1927
- Columbia City Evening Post: April 2, 1917 - December 31, 1927
- Columbia City News: January 6, 1859 - February 23, 1864
- Columbia City Post: July 6, 1864 - December 1983
- Columbia City Times: January 25, 1890 - January 9, 1891
- Columbia City Weekly Commercial Mail: January 19, 1905 - December 30, 1919
- Post & Mail: January 1984 - Current
- Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps: Columbia City, Churubusco, South Whitley
- Whitley County Republican/Whitley County Commercial: May 11, 1864 - December 2, 1868/January 21, 1869 - December 28, 1870
- Whitley County Commercial: January 12, 1870 - November 6, 1879
- Whitley County Census: 1840 - 1920 (No 1890 Census, all data lost in fire)
The Periodical Room (found at the end of our Adult Fiction collection, near the Quiet Room) is a cozy, well-lit room with lots of comfortable chairs. This is a great place to relax while you are waiting for someone in the library, or if you just have a few extra minutes while you are in town.
We have over 75 titles in our periodical collection, including popular titles such as Sports Illustrated, Time, People, and many more. A wide variety of craft magazines are available for beading, crocheting, knitting, and children’s crafts. Outdoor enthusiasts can find magazines on hunting and fishing, hiking, horseback riding, and more. If you are planning on traveling soon, check out the travel magazines or photography magazines for tips to make your trip even more memorable! History buffs will enjoy the Civil War and American History magazines. If you enjoy cooking at home, you can find lots of new recipes or healthy cooking ideas in several of the magazines offered.
A library card is not required in order to read the latest issues of your favorite magazines or newspapers here. But with a valid library card, you can also check out older issues to read at home. Older issues are located in the storage area underneath the most recent issues and may be checked out for three weeks.
Don't forget to connect to the library’s free Wi-Fi service!
Want your own space for you or a small group?
Check out our Study Room! Located right before the Quiet Room.
Includes two tables and up to (11) eleven chairs. While no reservation is required you can still reserve this room for free to make sure it is available for your group.
Need a small, quiet space to get some work done?
Look no further than our Quiet room. located between the Study and Periodical rooms.
You get the same features as our public computers, but in a more private setting.
Reservation Required Meeting Rooms
The following rooms are available for public use:
AUDITORIUM 1, 2 & 3 (Stage)
- When used as one room, the Robert E. Brittain Memorial Auditorium has approximately 2500 square feet of floor space.
- When used as separate meeting rooms, the room capacities are as follows:
- Auditorium 1 (required for access to sound booth)
- Dimensions: 20’ x 36’
- Chairs only: 118
- Tables and Chairs: 55
- Auditorium 2 (required for access to ceiling projector)
- Dimensions: 27’ x 36’
- Chairs only: 154
- Tables and Chairs: 72
- Auditorium 3 (Stage; required for access to projection screen)
- Dimensions: 26’ x 36
- Auditorium 1 (required for access to sound booth)
COMMUNITY ROOMS A & B
- When used as one room, the community room has approximately 1500 square feet of floor space.
- When used as separate meeting rooms, the room capacities are as follows:
- Community Room A
- Dimensions: 30’ x 31’
- Chairs only: 124
- Tables and Chairs: 58
- Community Room B
- Dimensions: 17’ x 31’
- Chairs only: 66
- Tables and Chairs: 31
- Community Room A
COMPUTER LAB
- Includes (10) ten student stations, (1) one instructor’s station, a color printer, a projector and a projection screen. Additional stations are also available for seating with a laptop or other portable device.
Fees are charged in 2 hour increments and include 7% sales tax.
- Auditorium 1: $32.10
- Auditorium 2: $32.10
- Auditorium 1-3 (All): $74.90
- Community A: $32.10
- Community B: $21.40
- Community A & B: $58.85
- Computer Classroom: $90.95
The following specifications also apply:
- Rooms will be available only during library hours or at the discretion of the Director.
- Except where proof is presented of non-profit status, sales tax will be charged for meeting rooms.
- Fees must be paid within a week of making the reservation. If the reservation is made within a week of the event, fees must be paid no later than 24 hours prior to the reserved time.
- Fees are non-refundable.
- All tax-supported institutions may use the library meeting rooms at no charge, including, but not limited to:
- City governmental units
- County governmental units
- State governmental units
- Public schools
- All not-for-profit organizations will be requested to give a donation for the use of a meeting room, however it is not required. See the fee schedule listed above for suggested donations.
The following equipment may be reserved with the meeting rooms. All equipment is subject to availability. Please call (260) 244-5541 if you are unable to request the desired equipment on line. All AV equipment should be scheduled when reserving the meeting room.
All Rooms have access to:
- Laptops
- Flip chart stand/dry-erase board
- 46" TV
- Portable LCD Projector,
- DVD/Blu-ray player (must be reserved with TV or Projector)
- Podium (not recommended in the Computer Lab or Study Rooms)
Auditoriums 1, 2, and 3 (Only when reserved together)
- Projection screen
- LCD Projector (Ceiling Mounted)
- Blu-Ray/DVD player
- Wireless Microphones
- Stage Microphones
- Sound Booth
Auditorium 1 or 2
- Each have a 60" Plasma TV
Community Room A
- Ceiling mounted DLP Projector
- Projection Screen
- Blue-ray/DVD Player
- Wireless Microphones
- Sound System
- Cables to connect your laptop to the projector
Community Room B
- Projector Screen
- Portable DLP Projector (may be available
- Wireless Microphones
- Sound System
- Computer Lab
- 10 Student Desktops
- 1 Instruction Desktop
- LCD Projector
- Projector Screen
- Color printer/copier
PLEASE NOTE: Peabody Public Library is not responsible for the storage, loss and/or damage of any AV equipment belonging to any group or organization using the meeting rooms.
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