STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

When’s the last time you heard “Pssst” in a library?

Not in local libraries, that’s for sure!

Libraries—in the Wood River Valley, at least—have become places where people come to network, brainstorm ideas and listen to lectures and even music in the case of the monthly bluegrass jam session at The Community Library.

But, once in a while, someone craves silence to focus on a term paper they’re writing or a particularly difficult math problem.

That’s why the Hailey Public Library has installed new work/study pods.

The library purchased the pods with a $10,000 grant from the Spur Community Foundation that was supplemented by additional funds provided by Friends of the Hailey Public Library. It set them up next to the computer area which boasts the library’s 16 computers.

“Libraries are not quiet anymore. Sometimes, people come to the library looking for quiet, but it’s not always quiet,” said Library Director Lyn Drewien. “Or, perhaps we have someone who’s working remotely and they need to carry on a phone conversation so this is good for that.”

The pods, manufactured in California, are light and airy with comfortable seating along with a desktop. They’re well lit with air circulation and charging capacity for devices. Each costs $5,000, and they’re eco-friendly, made out of recycled plastic bottles.

Pods range in size from accommodating one person to four.

Library staff assembled them over a weekend as if they were having an IKEA party.

“I don’t think there is anything like them in our valley, but people may have seen them in airports or other cities,” said Lee Dabney, the library’s associate director.

The pods have attracted a lot of curiosity in the library, which had more than 100,000 visits last year.

“The pods provide a space in our bustling library for patrons who need a more private and quiet place to work, study or have a phone call or virtual meeting. The library is so busy and it’s loved. Some people come multiple times a day to talk with others or hang out with friend,” said Dabney.

Added Drewien: “It’s a place where kids wait for their parents to pick them up. It’s a community space. These pods are very cost efficient, offering more places for people to work. And they’re even on wheel so you can move them.”