Plaza

OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED BY:

Board of Library Trustees

DATE OF APPROVAL:

October 24, 2026

IMPLEMENTATION DATE: 

October 25, 2026

The Plaza situated at Allen County Public Library’s Main Library represents an open-air concrete and grass area on the eastern facade of the main structure. Its boundaries stretch from the library building toward Wayne Street’s parking lot and Firefighters Museum, spanning the eastern property perimeter between Washington Street’s southern sidewalk and Wayne Street’s northern sidewalk. This designated space functions as a restricted public forum, accessible solely for Library-endorsed or authorized events and activities governed by formal rental agreements and operational policies.

Activities prohibited within this zone encompass but are not limited to artistic performances, public speeches, demonstrations, petitions, promotional campaigns, and similar gatherings unless explicitly permitted under established guidelines.

Entities seeking to employ the Plaza for political expression or viewpoint dissemination must first coordinate directly with the Allen County Public Library Events Coordinator. Required notifications should detail the intended location within the permissible Plaza area, expected participant count, communication methodology, thematic focus, and scheduled timing. The Library reserves authority to deny or restrict any proposal deemed unlawful or disruptive to regular patron experiences, exercising judgment independent of content considerations. Requesting organizations must execute the Library’s usage contract and assume full liability for damages arising from their Plaza utilization.

Permitted expressive activities are confined to the Plaza section north of the elevated performance platform leading toward the eastern entrance, inclusive of outdoor seating zones but excluding the elevated stage area itself. This designated zone extends from the platform’s northern boundary to Wayne Street’s sidewalk, westward from the library structure to the Plaza’s eastern edge, while excluding landscape borders, access pathways to parking facilities, and the parking lot premises themselves (hereafter referred to as the “Restricted Public Forum Area”). The precise boundaries of this zone appear in Exhibit “A” attached as a visual reference.

Exhibit A