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Transmittal Notice

  1. Explanation of Material Transmitted: This issuance updates information regarding the management, scheduling, maintenance, and operation of the Lister Hill Center (LHC) Auditorium within the National Library of Medicine.
  2. Filing Instructions:

Remove: NIH Manual Chapter 1363-1, dated 06/21/2013
Insert: NIH Manual Chapter 1363-1, dated 03/20/2019

PLEASE NOTE: For information on:

This issuance presents policies and procedures for the management, scheduling, maintenance, and operation of the Lister Hill Center (LHC) Auditorium (176 seats), located at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), Building 38A. The NLM has no other space for break-out rooms.

This policy applies to all NIH Institutes or Centers (ICs), Office of the Director (OD) offices and NIH-sponsored outside organizations requesting use of the National Library of Medicine Auditorium.

  1. NIH Manual Chapter 1363, "NIH Conference Facilities"
  2. NIH Manual Chapter 1743, "Keeping and Destroying Records"
  3. NIH Manual Chapter 1160-1, “Food and Beverage; Entertainment”

D. Responsibilities

The Director, NLM, or designee, is responsible for ensuring that NLM space is efficiently managed and appropriately utilized. The Director, NLM, approves all events to be held in the LHC Auditorium.

The Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL), NLM, is responsible for scheduling and obtaining the Director's approval for all events in the LHC Auditorium. This office oversees the issuance and revision of guidelines regarding the use of space in the NLM. The office arranges for logistical support of event activities, meets with event sponsors, and arranges tours of the facility. The office provides information about, but specifically is not responsible for, the following:

  1. Parking arrangements
  2. Food and beverage service
  3. Processing requests for exemptions to the prohibition on alcohol consumption per NIH guidance
  4. Security service

The Audiovisual Program Development Branch (APDB), Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications (LHNCBC), NLM, is responsible for the maintenance and operation of the audiovisual systems in the LHC Auditorium, including the oversight of the audiovisual (AV) technical support services contractor, which provides AV support of conference activities.
The ORS NIH Events Management (301-496-4700) and the Center for Information Technology (CIT) Video Services (301-594-8433) are responsible for providing videocasting services, web collaboration services, and video and audio teleconferencing services.

The LHC Auditorium is a unique, 176-seat facility equipped with sophisticated audiovisual equipment and a projection system. As a unique biomedical communication facility, it is to be used for specialized events that require its capabilities. It is not to be considered a facility for regular meetings of advisory bodies, but should be reserved primarily for conferences, symposia and workshops that require multimedia equipment.

It is a security requirement that any software or program that is brought to the LHC Auditorium for presentation purposes on a portable drive must be scanned for viruses before being loaded onto the LHC Auditorium computer.

The normal operating hours of the LHC Auditorium are Monday through Friday, 7:30am–6:00pm. Weekend and/or evening events are allowed only by special exception approved by the NLM Director. If events are approved to extend beyond regular weekday hours or take place on a weekend, the sponsoring Institute or Center (IC) must provide a Common Accounting Number (CAN) to pay for NIH security guards.

An event request is tentative until approved by the NLM Director.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Food and beverages are not allowed in the LHC Auditorium.  (No exceptions.) Failure to comply may result in revocation of meeting privileges in the future

F. Priorities for Assignment of Conference Space

Programmatic activities which support the mission of the NLM receive first priority for use of the LHC Auditorium. When space is not required for these activities, it may be scheduled under the following general priorities:

Priority 1: Director, NLM, the NLM Board of Regents and the Board of Scientific Counselors Meetings.

Priority 2:  Official NLM and NIH sponsored national and international scientific meetings may reserve the LHC Auditorium up to one year in advance.

Priority 3: NLM approved meetings of other HHS health agencies may reserve the space up to 6 months in advance.

Priority 4: NLM approved meetings of other health-related organizations (e.g., professional societies) whose use of the facility will benefit the program interests of the NLM, may reserve the space up to 3 months in advance.
Only the NLM Director can change a confirmed event reservation.

G. Reserving NLM Space

  1. All reservations must be made through the LHC Auditorium Coordinator’s Office, NLM/OCPL, 301-496-5389, fax 301-480-0155, or email nlmaud@mail.nih.gov.
    1. Request may be made by submitting form NIH 827-2A “Request to Use the LHC Auditorium”. The following information is required:
      • Requestor name and sponsor name, NIH IC, telephone, email, fax number, date and time of event, name of event, and purpose of event.
    2. A hard copy of the form and the LHC Auditorium Guide may be requested by phone or printed from the website http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/vfacilities.html. If requested by phone, the form NIH 827-2A along with the LHC Auditorium Guide http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/lhcaud_gen.html will be e-mailed to the requestor.
    3. Form NIH 827-2A must be returned by fax or e-mail to the LHC Auditorium Coordinator’s Office.
  2. Once an event request is approved by the Office of NLM Director, the LHC Auditorium Coordinator will e-mail the confirmation along with the attached form NIH 827-2B to the event coordinator. Following receipt of confirmation, form NIH 827-2B must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the event. If form NIH 827-B has not been received 30 days prior to the event, the Auditorium reservation will be released.
  3. The LHC Auditorium Coordinator can review the specific event requirements with the event coordinator. The LHC Auditorium Coordinator will be able to answer questions about the facility and the services available and can arrange a tour of the facility if requested on form NIH 827-2A.

H. Records Retention and Disposal

All records (e-mail and non-e-mail) pertaining to this chapter must be retained and disposed of under the authority of NIH Manual Chapter 1743, "Keeping and Destroying Records," Appendix 1, "NIH Records Control schedule," Item 1100-M-1, Administrative Files.

NIH e-mail messages, including attachments that are created on NIH computer systems or transmitted over NIH networks that are evidence of the activities of the agency or have informational value are considered Federal records. These records must be maintained in accordance with current NIH Records Management guidelines. Contact your IC Records Liaison for additional information.

All e-mail messages are considered Government property and, if requested for a legitimate Government purpose, must be provided to the requester. Employees' supervisors, NIH staff conducting official reviews or investigations, and the Office of Inspector General may request access to or copies of the e-mail messages. E-mail messages must also be provided to members of Congress or Congressional committees if requested and are subject to Freedom of Information Act requests. Back-up files are subject to the same requests as the original messages.

Appendix 1. NIH Form 827-2A

Please refer to the NIH Forms Web site to see Form NIH 827-2A .

Appendix 2. NIH Form 827-2B

Please refer to the NIH Forms Web site to see Form NIH 827-2B.

Appendix 3. LHC Auditorium Guide

Seats accommodate a total of 176 people with additional 6 wheelchair positions (96 counter positions, 68 theater seats and 12 seats in the front row).

The front stage may be used for demonstrations and/or panels for up to 8.

The registration area is located in the lobby (sponsor must supply personnel for registration/telephone messages) The phone number at the desk is 301-496-4062. The lobby has a registration desk, 2 tables behind the desk for materials, and 3 tables available for coffee breaks.

The entire LHC Auditorium Guide can be found on the NLM Web site at http://www.nlm.nih.gov/about/lhcaud_gen.html.


* If you require a 508 compliant PDF version of a chapter please contact policymanual@nih.gov
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