Polk County Libraries Now Offering Study Rooms – The Tryon Daily Bulletin

Polk County residents have found the new study rooms at the Columbus and Saluda libraries very useful.

Residents have been requesting these types of rooms in recent years as a growing number of residents need a private space with strong internet connections for work and study.

To meet these demands, six study rooms have been opened: four in Columbus and two in Saluda. Each location also has a study room that includes activities for children to help keep them entertained while their parents or guardians work. Multi-sensory items are also included for those with sensory processing differences.

Polk County Libraries received a grant to cover 75 percent of the cost of the project. This grant is made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Natural Sciences and Natural Cultural Resources (IMLS Grant Number LS-253645-OLS-23).

The Friends of the Libraries graciously contributed the remaining 25% to make the project possible. The funding totaled $94,235, at no cost to the county.

Since opening to customers in December, more than 900 reservations have been recorded.

Room features include skylights, adjustable LED lighting, soundproof construction, and AC/USB adapters. Smaller rooms have height-adjustable tables for those who prefer to work standing. Large rooms can accommodate up to four people, small rooms can accommodate two.

Any room can be reserved in advance online at https://polklibrary.org/rooms/. No library card is required to reserve a room.