Space utilisation – Making the most of our pods

Lisa Riddington, Library & Knowledge Services Manager, Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust     

Our popular pods – Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

In 2020, the need for a private location for staff to conduct and take part in online training and meetings suddenly became a priority.  None of us were prepared for COVID-19, so we were certainly unprepared for this unprecedented demand by our library users for this type of space. 

We were therefore very pleased that in 2021, our Education Team purchased 3 soundproof pods for the library’s quiet study room.

Pod problems

Despite the welcome additions to our library, there were a few pod-related issues:

1. The pods were extremely popular and capacity did not meet demand.
2. Our Education Centre’s reception team managed the pods but predictably, library users thought we were managing them – therefore, there was confusion.
3. The pods were sometimes used not for their original purpose – for example, all-day recurrent bookings for one person using them as a private study or office area.

We had no control over the policies or process of the booking system and since the pandemic, the need for private meeting spaces in our Trust has become even more challenging.

The pod proposal

The Library & Knowledge Team wanted to take on the management of the booking of the pods because they:       

• Saw how they were being used
• Were at the frontline regarding the queries about them
• Had ideas on how improvements could be made
• Wanted to ensure our staff received a high level of customer service

The manager (me) was sceptical, and had 2 main concerns:

• The time it would take to administer
• How we would manage user expectations

The team insisted.

The manager relented.

The pod plan – The process

A plan was developed that aimed to:

• Meet user needs
• Increase capacity
• Increase usage
• Improve user satisfaction
• Make library staff happy

After gaining access to the booking system, the team developed a process of how bookings would be managed and a policy to ensure increased, equitable and fair usage.  This included:

• 2-hour maximum time slots – if longer time was needed, then the pods were not the place for you and users had to be guided to other potential work areas.
• Allowing extensions if time slots were free at the end of the booking – we didn’t want to appear “jobsworth” and wanted maximum usage.
• Allowing on-the-day bookings – library staff saw that ad-hoc unplanned need for the space was in high demand and the 2-hour policy would provide greater capacity to do this.
• Have wipe boards with staff names and booking times not only on the outside of the pod but also inside! – A small idea that has been much appreciated by staff to remind them of their time to leave and has helped with timekeeping.

The pod plan – In practice

	August 2022 – January 2023	NEW PROCESS August 2023 – January 2024	% increase
Number of different people using pods	145	291	101%
Average pod bookings per day	3	6	100%

Proposed pod plans

From analysing searches on our LibGuide page, we have learned that “pods” are frequently searched for and have just created a Pod Booking page which clearly explains the process and usage purposes.  We will monitor and evaluate the use of the new form.

We will continue to build our resilience regarding our more persuasive pod users and be mindful of our aim to achieve greater usage and greater number of “happy” users whilst being equitable to all.

We will conduct pod-related User Experience (UX) to gain insight into our processes and ensure we are providing what our staff need and expect.

Post pod ponder

Sometimes the team is right!