Furnishing a Library Archives - Carroll Seating Company

Published: 14 December 2016

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

What is it about a book that demands the most comfortable chair possible? With so many variables, it’s hard to say, but for decades, Brodart has been providing comfortable and stylish library seating solutions to libraries, cafes, and other reading Meccas. Today, the story is a little different. They still have many options, and even in a time when modern library chairs have to be more style than function, Brodart is bringing the two together in a comfortable package, that readers and researchers will absolutely love.

Ergonomic Chairs

One style you might consider is their ergonomic line. Designed to make any space ultra comfortable. Every option in this line helps to ease pressure on the lower back during the long hours sometimes spent in the library. What’s more, is that all of it comes with a limited lifetime warranty to help ensure durability.

Task Chairs

Brodart also offers a number of different task chair options that are as functional as they are comfortable. Much of a library’s focus these days has to be digital, and task chairs can help facilities to achieve that digitization with a higher level of comfort.

Nesting Chairs

Libraries are nothing if not flexible these days, and often they must have plenty of added seating on hand. Nesting chairs, though, haven’t always had the best reputation in the past. With Brodart, you’re getting some of the most up-to-date designs that fit with the overall flow of the library with a measure of added comfort, including thick padding, arms, and more.

With Brodart library furniture and Carroll Seating Company on your side, stylish library seating doesn’t have to be an out-of-reach choice. Give us a call today and learn more about how you can incorporate some of this amazing seating into your library. Your patrons are certain to thank you!

Published: 21 July 2016

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

So much of what we experience depends on our surroundings. The practice of Feng Shui combines room setup with how we feel and behave, and with how long it’s been around and there’s got to be something to say for its effectiveness. Now, where would beautiful Feng Shui be the most useful? The answer is a fairly simple one – learning environments like a school library.

With summer break on, now is the perfect time to revitalize your school library. As the central resource of a school, libraries play a part in every student’s learning experience. The library is the premium place to update the layout to get the most out of your budget.

Where to Start

School libraries are a diverse environment with room needed for both collaborative and secluded spaces. This is so a group or class can meet to research or work together without disturbing the individuals trying to study quietly. So, with real estate needed for books, computers, groups, and reference desks, what kind of library furnishings should you look into?

Carroll Seating Company can help you decide on the ideal furniture to meet your needs. We have over 50 years of experience working with the best library equipment suppliers in the business, supplying desks, chairs, and workstations to a variety of organizations. We are on the forefront of designing and supplying dynamic equipment.

Most school libraries would greatly benefit from the combination of secluded study areas and group labs. Carroll Seating Company has extensive experience, designing settings complete with bookshelves and desks in order to make an area that offers the best of both worlds. We offer highly stylized personal desks, while also having wonderful options for group layouts that include non-congested desks which are highly effective for group discussion.

With the library existing as a communal space for all classes and students, it is the lifeblood of education. Updating your school library will mean more people will use this resource and ultimately, there will be a stronger connections between all students, teachers, and staff.

Published: 29 March 2016

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

Many people first come cross the term “hoteling stations” when trying to find seating for their venue or business. Its meaning is very often a mystery, and here we will take a look at what these are and why they are important.

Generally, a hoteling station is a work area for someone who does not have a permanent office space or simply needs to take advantage of an office space for convenience. Perhaps you provide these spaces for your traveling staff or you fill your library with them for students on the run.

Unfortunately, all hoteling stations were not created equally. The consequences of not having a decent hoteling station become obvious very quickly. If a workspace is unusable for a part-time employee or students, productivity will quickly take a back seat. If it is not logically designed and organized, this will just add unnecessary confusion for the person and create some real problems. This can be particularly frustrating in office settings where higher productivity numbers are always the goal.

A Closer Look At Perfection

Trying to design the right hoteling space? First, think about your goal for the individuals who will use it from time to time. Offer adequate space for reading and writing, and ensure the lighting is perfect, even if cubicle style walls are in use. Access to power or a charging station of some kind is an absolute must, no matter what environment you’re in. You may also want to add some other comforting amenities. A coat hook is always handy, as is an accessible trash can. General office supplies may also be necessary in some cases like paper, writing utensils, paper clips, a stapler, and anything else your guests may need to utilize routinely.

If you are in need of a hoteling station, whether for an office or a library, don’t hesitate to contact us today. We’ll be happy to build you the ideal space.

Published: 9 March 2016

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

There are many choices out there when it comes to choosing and designing the right bookcases that should be used for a school’s library and talking to the experts at Carroll Seating can help with making the right choices for a school’s library bookcases. What should you consider? Take a look.

The Height of Your Bookcases

The height of your bookcases will often depend on the age of the person who is using the library. For example, if the library is for younger children, you’ll want to go with shorter bookcases so that the children can have easy access to their books. If your patrons are primarily older students or adults, higher bookcases mean you double your storage options. If you have a mixed group of patrons, as you might in a K-12 facility, you may need bookcases at a variety of heights to help serve the needs of your population.

Creating Beauty

Bookcases come in a variety of heights, but the veneer choice can be just as important as the height. It can build the mood within your space, enhancing a love of reading and research at every turn. Wooden bookcases are easily the most traditional choice, and they seem to provide a more welcoming and pleasant atmosphere for a library. While most libraries use wood bookcases, steel bookcases are also an option that should be seriously considered. They are lighter, are often less expensive and they can be painted to make them look quite pleasant and welcoming. In fact, they can be painted with the school’s colors, which will give a spirited look for your school’s library.

Using Mobile Bookcases

Many libraries use mobile bookcases along with their standard stationary bookcases. These mobile bookcases are useful if the library needs to section off an area of the library when special programs are being done in an area of the library. Mobile bookcases are also useful when a person wants to rearrange an area in the library so by the use of mobile bookcases that can easily be moved around, the library is not cemented into the same look until the next time the library is remodeled.

When Space is a Consideration

With schools growing in population and school space remaining the same since schools are still using the same building it is often useful for schools to utilize the space that they have very carefully. As such, the use of modular designs, double faced library shelving and even movable library stacks can be some very nice additions to school libraries. This allows them to display the highest selection of books on their shelves when space is limited. If you have space concerns speak to the experts at Carroll Seating and let them help you design the best utilization of the space that is available.

To learn more about your options or take advantage of our design services, contact us today.

Published: 24 November 2015

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

School libraries have been changing for some time. Just as the way society consumes media, libraries have shifted to reflect the very new needs of student populations of all ages. While books remain an essential part of every school library, most have additional needs that are not always recognized within funding shifts.

The New Needs of School Libraries

The biggest shift in a library these days is the new focus on technology. While you might still pull a picture book off of a shelf to read to elementary students, the chances are good that you won’t be pulling an encyclopedia off of a shelf to help a high school student with a research paper. As a result, the library budget often has to focus on something more than new books. Instead, it has to focus on the acquisition of technology and the furniture to support that technology.

Library desks, once little more than study carrels, now need to be fully featured to include lighting and technology hookups, both for internet connections and the power sources necessary to run everything from laptops and tablets to ebooks and smartphones. Today’s library desks even have to include ergonomic options to help ensure student comfort during long research sessions.

Getting The Funding

Unfortunately, updating things like library desks and other library furniture isn’t always a high priority for the board or administrators, despite its necessity. How can you make sure you get the bucks necessary to get those new desks or other furniture pieces that are so supportive of a technologically rich library? This quick guide can help.

Set Your Goals Carefully: You have a specific goal in mind – impacting student learning and supporting the staff in your building or district. The more specific your goal and the more tied it is to overall instructional standards in your district, the better the chance you have at getting the money you need most for that furniture. Root your goals in the curriculum standards your district relies on for everything else. Grab the data necessary to prove how helpful this kind of update might be within your library.
Align Your Entire Plan: Once you’ve set your goals, make sure your plan is aligned with your overall plan for the year. If you’ve written a mission statement for your library, update it to reflect your new goals. For example, if you’re trying to focus on getting the desks and other furniture you need, you might want to align your technology enabled learning environment goal with other goals in your instructional plan.
Market: You’re never going to get what you want without a bit of marketing on your part. Be sure to put your goals out there in the newsletter, on school approved social media, and even through spaces like the teachers’ lounge. The more times you send out the message, the more likely it is to stick. While you probably don’t want something like “Let’s get library desks!” to come across, you may want to push an idea like “Let’s Electronically Collaborate” then push the idea of what you’ll need to do that.

Updating your school library may not be easy, but it is possible. Learn how to make it happen when you contact us today.

Published: 14 July 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

Your school library isn’t supposed to be a dusty collection of books no one checks out. The entire library experience has changed as fast as technology has, and we can help you update your library and give it the face lift you need.

A Few Great Ideas

Small Group Workspace – If you haven’t yet designed a spot for small groups to work withing your library, it’s certainly time. Collaborative learning is very much the focus today, and including a space where groups can get together and create that next big project is an absolute must.

Creative Play Space – If your library is designed for smaller children, it needs to include creative play space. Here, brightly colored walls are a must, as are smaller bookshelves and lots of table space complete with games, puzzles, and more to help promote those important pre-reading skills that will turn students into lifelong readers in the future.

Tech Central – While students still rely on printed texts for some things, the chances are good that they want access to e-readers and more while they’re in the library, so build in a space to allow them to use that tech. You’ll want to ensure you’re a wi-fi hotspot, and you may also want to build in charging ports here and there so students can plug in when the juice is running a bit low.

Why Carroll Seating Company?

We’ve been working with schools just like yours for more than six decades, developing beautiful spaces that help enhance student learning. We carry a complete line of shelving and furniture options for libraries of all shapes and sizes, from those for very young preschoolers to those designed for the heaviest academic environments. We’re continually working to include the right pieces for better functionality.

The real difference with Carroll Seating Company, though, is that we work with you to meet your needs. From the moment you first call, you’ll be working with an individual project manager, ready to help you choose your equipment and get it installed. We also have add-on services you’ll love, including custom casework that will help your environment promote reading and research in a way you never thought possible.

To learn more about what we can do for your library, contact us today by calling 847-434-0909 to get started or visit us online to learn more.

Published: 13 May 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

The library isn’t the stodgy, silent tomb that it used to be. Modern libraries are interesting spaces where technology and textbooks live side by side. And they do it in style.

You don’t just go to a library to pick a book and leave, at least not anymore. They are places where study groups meet, tutors assist and yes, we still get books there too. Furnishings in a modern library need to reflect the changing usage of this important school or community hub.

There are many pieces that a modern library can include but some of the basics will always be bookcases, tables and chairs. These serviceable items don’t have to look basic to fulfill their purpose, however. They can create a space that’s up-to-date and in style whether you want a trendy vibe or a classic feel. Our catalog covers it all.

Bookcases

Bookcases are the workhorses of the library. They need to be sturdy and well-balanced with excellent ease of access. They don’t have to be behemoths weighed in tonnage to serve these purposes. Modular units give you flexibility within your space as well as durability and functionality.

Tables

You need table but they don’t all need to look alike, do they? You’ve got plenty of options to create custom spaces. You can have large surfaces for project work, laptops and research materials but you can add smaller tables for resting a volume or two. You might even like a booth with curved banquette seating for collaborative spaces that encourage interaction (but still limit the noise).

Chairs

Chairs take as many forms as tables! Whether you need task chairs for quick uses or a cozy spot for a longer sit-down, we’ve got all the options covered. Timeless, durable and comfortable, our brands bring everything you need to the table. Modern fabrics and construction materials make keeping your chairs clean so much easier that in the past and they last for years, despite frequent wear.

Balancing aesthetics and functionality is a delicate endeavor. You’ll probably need some help. Depend on Carroll Seating’s decades of experience to guide your choices. Trained consultants with a high degree of product knowledge make all the difference in the decision-making process. We’ve been doing this since 1950 so we’ve got all the know-how you’ll need to get your library ready for guests.

Whether you’ve got a renovation or a brand new space, making your library modern will make it more useful. Create a space that will get people talking (quietly).

Published: 24 March 2015

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

School libraries are changing fast. Like classroom designs, they have to meet very different needs than they once did, and with that change comes a necessary shift in bookcase options. Before you design a new school library or offer a facelift to the old one, though, exploring the many choices available to you is a good idea. Take a look:

Single or Double Faced: Depending on the layout of your library, you may want to go with single or double faced book cases. Single faced are those that have a back panel with shelving on a single side. They work best against the walls of your library space. Double faced shelves have panels on both sides for sturdy book storage that makes the most of the available space in your library. You may need a combination of the two to achieve the right layout.
Construction Materials: Today’s school libraries are as much about feel as they are about the contents of the library itself, and going with bookcases that are a bit different can give you that warm feel you want. Wooden bookshelves offer you a classic look that comes in a number of different finishes. Steel bookcases are lighter and less expensive and can sometimes come in non-traditional finishes like school colors. You can also choose from newer options like those with wood and steel for the classic look without the cost.
Shelves: You typically have the option of going with adjustable or fixed shelving with each book case purchase. Adjustable shelves give you flexibility to change the layout at some point in the future to help make your library a bit different every single year. Fixed shelving, though, may be a must in elementary library settings so students can reach the bookcases.

No matter what bookcases you choose, let us help. Contact us today to reach a personal project manager who can help you select the right layout for your space.

Published: 20 January 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

Libraries, like many spaces these days, are changing quickly. Technology has done a number on these spaces, even in the school environment, and keeping up with the shift can be difficult. While physical materials are still a staple of libraries, so is the need for multimedia spaces. The right shelving solution can help you make the most of the space available for all of the types of materials, but what factors should you take into consideration before you select shelving? Keep reading to learn more:

Think Portability: If you have the need to move your library design to accommodate various groups, you may want to go with more portable mobile designs to help gate off sections of the library to accommodate any groups you have visiting. The ability to reconfigure, even if you don’t require portability, should also be considered, as you may want to shift your library layout during certain times of the school year.

Think Height: Understanding your population can make a big difference in the type of shelving you choose to meet your needs. If you regularly serve younger elementary children, you may want to go with shorter bookcases so they can reach all of the available materials. If you have older kids and you need to maximize your space, floor to ceiling models are easily the way to go.

Think Space: If you have spacing concerns, you may want to invest in double faced library shelving, as it is the ideal way to display the most possible materials without utilizing too much of your floor area. While this type of shelving can be pricier, it can also help you make the most of the area you have available.

At Carroll Seating Company, we carry a complete catalog of library shelving to help meet your needs. Contact us today to help address your design concerns and find the right solution to meet your needs.

Published: 8 October 2014

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

A library should be a place of comfort. After all, it is that atmosphere that will bring patrons back again and again, whether they’re young students or community members. It can be tough to achieve that level of comfort without the right furniture choices, though, so shopping around a bit is absolutely essential when it’s time to give the library a makeover. One of the best choices you can make? Brodart Library Furniture.

The Benefits of Brodart
For nearly a century, Brodart has been the name to know in the world of libraries. An international company, today, they spend time listening to librarians so they can develop new products that speak specifically to their operational needs. The catalog available from this company is nothing short of enormous. From study carrels that speak to the electronic needs of today’s libraries and circulation desks with the added space and organization options librarians want most to décor and shelving designed specifically for the needs and atmosphere of the ideal library, this is one company that seems to have it all. Their options mean the cost-effective solutions budget-conscious organizations need in the face of struggles to maintain a robust materials collection and a great atmosphere all in one.

Let Us Help
At Carroll Seating Company, we’ve been helping libraries just like yours discover the wonders of a space filled with Brodart’s full line for decades. From start to finish, we’ll help you design your space, install the right furniture choices, and service them in the years to come. Working with Carroll Seating Company means a dedicated account manager who can help you achieve your dreams of a better space for patrons to come, relax, interact, and study. To learn more about your options, contact us today so we can start designing your amazing new space.