NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y. — There will soon be a new resource for Niagara County residents. Three telehealth pods are being installed at the county’s main library.

“We are in a community that has financial challenges. We have a high poverty rate, unfortunately," said Sarah Potwin, the executive director for the Niagara Falls Public Library. "We're trying to level the playing field.”

Potwin is excited that in mid-July, they’ll officially add to their offerings.

In the Niagara Falls area, about 20% of people don’t have Wi-Fi at home, she explained, whether they can’t afford it or just don’t have access.

The three pods -- one individual, one for two people and one that's ADA compliant -- will bridge a gap between the public and telehealth services.

“Some people either have a fear of going to the doctor or don't have access to proper medical care. Now, we certainly encourage people, if they have a health emergency, to go to a hospital or call 911," Potwin said. "But if it's something that they want to do a little research on, and they want to do it in a private environment [...] they can do that in here.”

Funded by a $27,000 grant, each pod will have a desktop with video conferencing abilities and a printer, all in a soundproof room.

Potwin would know. They tested it.

“We had one of our staff members, who has a great sense of humor, [he] was in here and he was physically yelling, he was screaming, and of course, we were on the outside of the glass with the door shut," she recalled. "Could not hear a peep at all.”

All you need to use a pod once when they open is a library card. Make a reservation about 24 hours ahead of time and then it’s yours for a couple of hours.

“We foresee people will be using this for telehealth," she said. "Probably for study groups. Maybe they'll come in, they want to have a quiet space where they can do some tutoring.”

It's a way to help meet the community’s needs in one location.

“I'm really proud of my staff, that we found ways to service our population, offer them access to materials and technology, and just help them any way we can,” Potwin added.

The upgrades don’t stop there. The Niagara Falls Public Library is working on installing bike repair stations outside that people can use for free, which include tools and bike pumps.

The library also wants to bring in vending machines for people to rent Chromebooks.