The Northborough Library Trustees adopted an amended library program policy that trustees and staff said is intended to apply only to library‑sponsored programs and to make funding and partner responsibilities clearer.

Trustees voted unanimously to adopt the policy after agreeing to three edits: insert the word “sponsored” in the opening line to make clear the policy covers library‑sponsored programs; add the word “generally” to a sentence about municipal appropriations so the language allows limited exceptions; and change the wording to state that “individuals reserving spaces within the library for meetings or events are not considered library partners,” meaning those groups are responsible for their own marketing and are not library‑sponsored.

Library director Jennifer Bruno told trustees that the change on meeting-space users was intended to avoid confusion. She read the proposed wording: “Individuals reserving spaces within the library for meetings or events are not considered library partners. These programs are not sponsored by the library. Such groups are responsible for their own marketing.” The trustees accepted that clarification and inserted the word “sponsored” in the policy’s opening purpose statement.

Discussion during the item focused on edge cases and enforcement. Trustee Richard Tucker raised an example from another venue where a group booking space drew protests and asked whether the town library could be put in a similar position. Staff and trustees emphasized that the library program policy applies to events that the library itself sponsors and that the meeting‑room use policy governs outside groups. Jennifer Bruno and other trustees said they will circulate the meeting‑room policy and American Library Association guidance to trustees and schedule a fuller discussion at a later meeting.

Trustees and staff also discussed ticketed events and small fee collections. Jennifer Bruno said library partners may be permitted, with director approval, to sell original creative works (for example, an author selling copies of their book at a library program), but the library has historically not allowed ticketed admission for outside meeting‑room uses. The garden club provided an example: monthly meetings where members sometimes collected small dues or fees for supplies prompted staff to clarify that annual membership dues collected informally are different from ticketed, fee‑based events that require advance sales, which the meeting‑room policy prohibits.

Trustees asked staff to: circulate the meeting‑room use policy and relevant ALA guidance prior to a future agenda item; monitor the policy’s effect and revisit the library program policy in one year; and publish the amended policy so the community can see which events are library‑sponsored and which are independent uses of library space.

The motion to adopt the library program policy as amended passed by unanimous roll call.