Library gets new study pods

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This article was published 26/02/2024 (426 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Trying to find a quiet place to study can sometimes be difficult even in a library, which is why the Jake Epp Library in Steinbach has installed three sound dampening study pods.

“They’re interesting. We have had people describe them as very modern or very space age because it feels very different getting into one,” said co-interim director Aubrey Walker.

Walker said there are three study pods: two that are one-person suites and one four-person suite. People who use the pods can adjust the air flow, turn on a desk lamp, and use the USB ports for charging a phone or laptop.

“We want to keep them fresh and new for as long as possible. So we’re saying no food or drink inside the pods and to take your shoes off if they’re gritty…You can book them for two hours but if nobody else is going to come and request use of them, we’ll just let you be for a while,” said Walker.

The pods were built thanks to the Manitoba arts, culture, and sport in community fund for small capital and special initiatives grant worth $25,000.

“We bought the booths from a Canadian company called Inbox Booths and they gave us a great deal and were really good to us and we were able to get more than we thought we’d be able to get with that money.”

The booths opened in January during a soft launch and weren’t advertised as much as they are now.

“I have a feeling in the summer we’ll have waitlists and more of a demand because that’s when our noise level kicks up quite a bit. Now that we’ve advertised them we’re expecting even more of an uptick. We see them being used more often,” said Walker.

To be put on the waitlist for a study time email the library at librarian@jakeepplibrary.com or call 204-326-6841.