Visitors to the Taylor Community Library have longed for study rooms or “silent labs”. Their requests have finally been answered.

The library has installed four private study pods by Pillar Designs LLC. Two of the pods can accommodate up to two individuals, while the two single-user pods are Americans with Disability Act (ADA) accessible. They are separated into Study Pod A and Study Pod B (both in the Adult Department), along with Study Pod C (Adult Department, Wheelchair Accessible) and Study Pod D (Youth Department, Wheelchair Accessible)

“We have had a 10-year demand for study rooms or silent labs, and this has helped tremendously especially for those who are seeking a nice environment that accommodates their educational needs,” Library Director Devon Harris said. “So far we have had a large number of college students and library regulars reserving the space.”

On a weekly basis Harris predicted 50 to 60 people would come to study at the library.

“Our study pods provide an inclusive environment for students and patrons alike to fully engage in whatever creative activity they have without being distracted by the library’s daily flow and activities,” he said.

Other organizations have had great success with Pillar study pods. The Vernon Area Public Library of Lincolnshire, IL is a good example. It serves a diverse community of approximately 44,000 people. Library Director Anne Rasmussen recognized the growing demand for private spaces. The library's two existing study rooms were consistently booked solid, indicating a clear need for additional private areas.

The pods were a welcome addition, providing private spaces for patrons who needed to focus on their work or make phone or Zoom calls without being disturbed. The open design of the library, with its large, communal areas, made it difficult to offer quiet spaces.

Stephen Territo, head of Library Operations, said the booths helped to mitigate these challenges: “The open areas of the library present their own challenges with sound. The booths give us an opportunity to provide quiet spaces in this big, open-air floor plan. They really help us provide a variety of environments for whatever a patron might need.”

Like Taylor, the Vernon Area Public Library installed both one- and two-person pods.

They installed a two-person pod in a children’s area, which serves a variety of functions. “There’s a good mix of usage types for the two-person booth,” Territo explained. “We see tutoring sessions, kids working together on homework, and children just using the space for reading or playing.” Meanwhile, the one-person booth, located near the main entrance and cafe area, is mostly used by adults and teens for phone calls and Zoom meetings.

The one-person booth also addressed another critical need: providing a designated area for phone calls. Territo explained that they didn't have a place for people to take a personal phone call. And so oftentimes, they have people speaking on their phone loudly in the middle of the library, which is disturbing to others.

“Patron privacy is important, so it’s great to give staff an opportunity to direct people who need to make a phone call where they can have that conversation out of earshot of others,” Rasmussen added.

Why not try out Taylor’s new library study pods? The library is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and from 10 a.m. through 6 p.m. on Fridays and Saturday. It is closed on Sundays. For more information, call (734) 287-4840.