Securing a Location

Securing a spot on campus is not always easy. There are a number of popular event spots on campus and they tend to get booked up quickly. It is a good rule of thumb to plan your event as far in advance as possible. Kathy Painter and Penny Ames are the main contacts in the GSLIS office when you need to reserve a room on campus for a GSLIS-sponsored event.

Setting a date

When planning an event that will draw attendees in from out of town who will need hotel rooms, it is important to keep the following in mind before you set the date:

• Make sure the date you consider does not conflict with other well-attended events on campus, such as home football games, or Mom’s Weekend. Hotels book up quickly, and it is very difficult to find space for your attendees on these weekends.
• Be sure to book your space well in advance. There are some months on campus during which it is harder to book space than others: October, April, May are three months that fill up fast.
• Consult the GSLIS events calendar on our website to avoid conflicts with other events. Similarly, if you are interested in having Library faculty attend, consult the Library events website. You can ask "Beth Woodard"-bswoodar, at uiuc.edu- or "Lisa Hinchliffe"-ljanicke, at uiuc.edu- to add your event to the Library calendar.

Reserving a space at GSLIS

Kathy can reserve rooms in the LIS building, however, she needs advance notice to ensure she can find and reserve a room for you in a timely manner. If you are planning to host an event in the LIS building, please let Kathy know three months before you’d like to have the event OR immediately after the decision to hold the event is made. The following is a list of rooms available in the LIS building and the equipment built into each room:

Room 46: capacity is 40 people
Has computer/projection equipment and standard overhead projector (training required).

Room 52 (computer classroom): capacity is 30 people
Has computer/projection equipment. There are many restrictions on the use of this room. If you are interested in using it, please speak directly with Kathy Painter.

Room 109: capacity is 20–25 people
Has standard overhead projector.

Room 126: capacity is 125 people
Computer/projection; sound system; VCR; ELMO; standard overhead projector (training required to enable ID card to open control panel). CARLI controls the use of this room from 8am-5pm on Wednesdays.  We have to consult with CARLI before we can reserve the room on a Wednesday.

Room 131: capacity is 25 people with tables & chairs; 40 people with chairs only
Sound system; standard overhead projector.

East Lobby: This space must also be reserved if it is needed for events.

ISRL (requires ID access after business hours):

• Room 308: capacity is 10 people
  Small seminar room. Standard overhead projector.
• Room 341: capacity is 20-25 people
• Commons area: capacity is 15

If you need a piece of equipment that is not listed for the room, please speak with User Services. We have a selection of mobile equipment you can use in any room. Please see the AV Equipment section for further information about equipment rules and training.

Reserving a space on campus

If you are planning a large event (conference or lecture with more than 100 attendees) that will be held elsewhere on campus, please contact Kathy Painter or Penny Ames at least six months (or more) prior to the event. Better still, let Kathy or Penny know as soon as you know you will be hosting the event. Space for large events books up fast—Allerton, for example, reserves its space years in advance. Other popular buildings on campus have similarly long lead times, especially the Union and Beckman.

If you would like more information about the following popular facilities on campus, visit their websites. You’ll find detailed information about available rooms, rates, and services. After you have made a choice as to what room you are interested in booking, check with Kathy or Penny for procedures to book the room.

Robert Allerton Park and Conference Center

Allerton is a very popular conference/meeting spot and books up very quickly. Their busiest season is between April and October, when space is booked anywhere from 1 year to 10 years in advance. If you would like to hold an event during this time, it is crucial that you contact Allerton as soon as possible to see what space they have available. If you would like to hold an event there in the winter, they suggest calling them 1 year in advance. Allerton can accommodate events of all sizes, and has lodging on the property that can house up to 100 people.

Illini Union

This link will take you to the main event planning page for the Union. It allows you to query about available dates and rates online. In addition, you can find out more information about their catering services, multimedia department, and available parking for attendees.

Levis Faculty Center

Levis Faculty Center has rooms available for use and you are charged only a set-up/clean-up fee based on the number of people in attendance. If your event is scheduled in the busy season (September and October; February through April) you need to give them a few months notice. In other months, you can call a few weeks in advance.

Beckman Institute

The Beckman Institute has space available to rent for events. However, priority is given to groups that are directly involved with Beckman. You can reserve space through their website. They tend to be booked up far in advance for the beginning of the semester. If you are interested in a date in the beginning of each semester, it is best to call them 6 months in advance. For a date in the “off” season, like summer, 1 month may be enough.

Other department buildings

If you are hosting an event that is co-sponsored with another group on campus, or if your event will attract a number of attendees from a specific department, you may want to hold that event in their main building. Each building’s facilities are different. Check with the specific department to verify their lead time in booking a room.

Reserving a space off campus

If you are interested in hosting an event to be held off-campus, please see Kathy. She can work with you to reserve space in area hotels and conference centers. Please keep in mind that if your event will span multiple days or have a large attendance requiring a large coordination effort, you may need to work with Conferences and Institutes.