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.

Now more than ever before, college libraries have a challenge ahead of them. The challenge is technology, so while college students will likely always need the study space the library provides, they need the physical resources less and less all of the time thanks to the extensive ability to obtain many of these same resources online. Traditional study carrels and areas just don’t work for today’s students. A concept that might? One borrowed from the business world called hoteling or hot desking.

What Is It?

80601597The idea is a fairly simple one. Because many employees are on the run these days to customers, sales meetings, or other offices, the desk space remains unused much of the time. As a result, freeing some of that up, and thus needing smaller work areas overall, is finally possible. Thus the idea of hoteling was born. The concept is this – when an employee is going to need a workspace, he calls ahead to the concierge (or office manager, as the case may be) to reserve a desk space. That desk space is then open for him on a given day at a given time, and he has the space he needs to work.

The idea is pretty easily transferable to college libraries, though you may need to put some policies in place to make it work well. There are several software solutions on the market today to help make it work well from an administration standpoint. Students, particularly on those campuses where many students commute or live off-campus, reserve a great workstation for a period of time. Libraries are sure their workstations are put to good use, and students aren’t trying to study in the noise of the food court.

Making It Work

If hoteling might be a good choice for your library, the essential factor will be the workspace itself. You have to have amazing casework to play this game. Students aren’t going to want to reserve a space if it isn’t comfortable and useful, so much thought has to go into the areas themselves. Keep in mind that you probably don’t want to give your entire library over to the concept, but dedicating a portion to the space is going to do excellent things for both your library and the students themselves. The work areas need to fulfill the simple needs of students who wish to study or complete assignments. An attractive work surface is a given, but you should also ensure students have access to power, maybe even a variety of available charging cords for various devices. Beautify it with some task lighting, and add some functionality with a coat hook or even a trash can. All of these things are simple to accomplish, but they’ll make these hoteling spaces amazing for student use.

Not all business concepts have a place in education, but this is one that certainly does.

There is perhaps no space in an educational environment that must be so conducive to learning as the law library. While the materials provided are certainly an integral part of the experience, so too is the area. At Carroll Seating Company, we’ve been working to provide beautiful law library spaces for more than half a century.

Creating the Space

As you begin your redesign, start by thinking about the style you want to create in your space. You’re looking for a balance of the functionality students and professors need as well as the beauty of that is a must for efficient operations. What’s more, though, is that you not only need to think in terms of study carrels and great reading spaces, but you may also need to make meeting spaces available for students and staff. The casework you choose should also be a consideration as you begin making your plans.

Our Role

At Carroll Seating Company, Law Library redesignwe work to find the best way to create the space you want without compromise. Here you’ll find efficient designs that look as amazing as they feel. We offer a variety of options from customized casework to comfortable seating.

  • Our Bookcases: When it comes to space to store materials, we offer easy to access, durable selections that meet both traditional and modular designs so you get the level of flexibility you want.
  • Our Seating: Today’s students are used to that café feel when they walk into a space like yours, so designing comfortable seating areas for browsing or research purposes is a must. We offer an entire line of stylish, smooth, luxurious seating choices that will make all of your patrons comfortable.
  • Our Desks: Complete customization is the name of the game when it comes to the desks that will serve both you and your staff well. We create not only beautiful spaces to work, but also those that redefine multimedia functionality.

To learn more or to see some of our previous work with law school libraries, contact us today.

If you recently walked into a library and thought, “This isn’t quite what I remember,” you’re not alone. Many of today’s libraries are designed to be open environments, perfect to support diverse needs, including those of individuals and groups. It’s a popular idea, and with good reason. Libraries aren’t what they used to be. Demographics are changing fast, and so too are the needs of libraries. They’re often as much about community collaboration as they are about individuals spending time with reference materials. As a result, the physical landscape of libraries has to shift at the same time, and much of the responsibility of that shift lies in the right furniture.

Tables and Chairs Defining Libraries?

Libraries fun-librarywere once just about books, but that can’t be the case anymore. Sure, just a few decades ago the best way to study up on a concept was to look through past printed material, but people don’t work that way anymore. Instead, the best researchers consult printed material, digital material, and even other people to share information. As a result, libraries have to move from shelves of printed material to technology bases that allow as much space for equipment as they do for people. Getting the right book may be as simple as using the library’s wifi connection to download it from their site instead of consulting the card catalog to go back in the shelves and find it.

Enter furniture solutions. With comfortable chairs to sit in while you’re holding your tablet, spots to take a break and talk with other patrons, and bright, friendly story time areas for the smallest patrons, the idea of an open library quickly becomes a reality, even without other vast changes to the space itself. The simple addition of open and individualized study spaces in the same spot transforms what used to be a dark place with people going “Shhhh!” all of the time to a light, airy environment where grabbing what you need may mean plugging in or heading back to the stacks for a closer look at that book.

To learn more about our complete line of open library furniture, contact Carroll Seating Company today. From the initial design to the installation phase, we’re right here to help you develop the perfect space for all of your patrons.

 

The idea of open concept library furniture is growing fast. Libraries simply aren’t closed, dark spaces full of shelves and silent tables anymore. They’re changing as fast as the way people obtain information is, and a big part of that change is a shift in the furniture. If you’re thinking of giving your library a facelift, but you’re not quite sure what’s available, this quick guide can help.

Shelving

Any great library has lots of shelving, fun-library-furniturebut it does not have to look quite so traditional these days. There are so many different choices. Looking to make an area friendlier for littler hands? Why not try a cute shaped display shelf that’s just the right size for your pint sized patrons. Need to display the best selections in a given section? End panel shelving or even canopy topped shelving may be the ideal answer.

Often how you store your materials is just as important as what materials you have in your facility, so feel free to dream big. From decorative end panels that help further a theme to cute choices that incorporate flexible seating options, reviewing your shelving choices carefully is a must.

Seating

Comfy arm chairs. Stacking modular seats. Traditional sturdy wood chairs. Squishy soft bean bag chairs. Wondering what they have in common? They’re all often part of today’s library at the same time. Those cozy spots are ideal in the places where your patrons might spend a bit of time chatting about the latest best seller.

The modular seating is ideal for the larger community gatherings your library might play host to. The sturdy wooden chairs are a must when it’s time for a more serious look at things. No matter what look you’re going for, the key with today’s library seating options is to make certain you’re serving the needs of everyone at the same time.

Study Areas

As important as collaboration can be in a library, quiet study is just as essential, so putting some thought into those individualized study spaces is an absolute must. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of modern options there too. Incorporate a little technology with plug in spaces for laptops and tablets. Get more traditional with flexible study carrels that can reconfigure as needed. Go with tables that work just as well for one as they do for an entire group. It’s all in the flexibility these days.

Proper Planning

Open concept library furniture is a broad area. You can’t simply choose a few products out of a catalog and have the right look for your library. Instead, you need an entire planning team on your side to look at your current space, show you the right options for that space, then help you put it all together. So, before you start that order form, contact the qualified library planning team at Carroll Seating Company today, then get ready to build the library of your dreams.

 

Libraries have special design concerns few other facilities have. Not only must there be the right storage space for books and materials, but you also have to consider the needs of the patrons and the librarians as well. Balancing all of it, whether you’re planning for a new library or renovating an older one, can be difficult, but here are a few tips that may help. library design, Carroll Seating

  • Include Enough Seating Space: If you’re designing a public library, you need to go with at least five seats for every 1,000 people within the service area. If you’re talking about a school library, that number will rely on class sizes. Keep in mind that those numbers shouldn’t include the seating you have in meeting rooms. 
  • Don’t Forget About ADA Accessibility: Seating options, meeting rooms, bathrooms, and even your computer workstations must be wheelchair accessible. You may also want to have other accommodations like computer stations designed for the visually impaired and more so you can serve the needs of your entire population. 
  • Electronic Workstations Play Into Design: Don’t forget that you’re going to need plenty of computer workstations throughout your library. Whether to meet online research needs or card catalog demands, electronic workstations should be readily available to all of your patrons. 
  • Consider the Purpose: Nearly every library in the country has a core of patrons with a different purpose. For example, perhaps it’s research at your library. Maybe it’s current topics and titles. The purpose difference means everything to the design of your library. If you’re talking about research, you’ll want lots of table space, as patrons will not only spread out a bit, but they’ll be spending long hours there, too. If it’s the best seller crowd, create a warm, inviting atmosphere. Go for fewer, yet more comfortable seats, maybe even a fireplace, and good lighting. 
  • Don’t Forget about the Staff: If you’re redesigning or building new, offer the staff a few perks, too. There are lots of great features you can build into the new design that may prove useful. Factor in your volunteer staff, or those temporary staff members you add during the busy season, to this equation too. You may even want to add in  dedicated kitchen or break area seating just for your staff members. It may be a nice perk to which they hadn’t previously had access.

Designing the ideal library can be complicated, but there are lots of ways to create a fantastic look that patrons will love.

Wondering how to keep students coming through those library doors? In a world that’s more connected than ever, it seems libraries are finding themselves outdated. Fortunately, you can still grab their attention, but it’s going to take some serious design planning. 
library seating and tables   Carroll Seating Company


Start with Beauty – Who says those perfect design magazine settings have to stay inside the world of residential settings? Create a cool environment, and students will want to be there day after day. The key, though, is to balance the educational needs of students with the awesome factor in design. You want to have an amazing design that attracts students, but you need it to be functional as well.

Sprinkle in Flexibility – You may have students who want to lounge before school, but during second period, you may have the entire biology one section waiting to hear from a special presenter. Traditional library furniture can’t possibly serve both needs, so get creative with your designs. Go with innovative seating and presentation areas to make the most of both spaces.

Don’t Forget The Electronics – Tablets aren’t going anywhere soon. Neither are smartboards, desktops, laptops, and ebooks. Don’t sell your library short by not including both a power supply and the right hookups for devices. Similarly, think about your lighting arrangement, too. It can be tough to see a smartboard presentation with sunlight streaming through those gorgeous windows, so manage things carefully from the outset.

Libraries can be cool, functional spaces, but it takes quite a bit of planning to get them there. Fortunately, Carroll Seating can help. With turnkey solutions available for school, public, and private libraries alike, here you’ll always find the planning and follow-through necessary to create that perfect space.

No One Likes Old Furniture  
An older library may have furniture from the time when it was first built.  Over time, chairs become ratty, tables become rickety, and chairs grow uncomfortable.  It may also be that the library has grown and now these old pieces simply aren’t enough to accommodate for the current amount of traffic that comes and goes throughout the library during the day.  There are a lot of different things that might happen to your library over the years to merit new furniture.   
Library Seating, Carroll Seating


Perhaps your library is being renovated, or you just received a grant that allows you to update your library in every capacity.  Libraries are the perfect places for people to relax, read, study, and discuss things (quietly, of course).  Isn’t it time that the library was made better for everybody?  

Beautiful Choices  
Library furniture has a wide range which allows you to get almost anything you like.  Even better?  Though you may primarily be in need of chairs and tables, you may also want to stop and consider new shelving units as well as library desks for librarians to work at.  There are all sorts of fantastic pieces that can work wonders in your library not just in comfort but in style and functionality as well!   

The right additions to your library can really transform it as well.  Your library may go from being the place people simply check out books and leave to the place where students want to hang out and study after school.  Chic designs that allow them to collaborate can put their minds at ease and really invite them in.  Furniture can also entice people to stay longer and enjoy all that the library has to offer.  Improved bookcases might give you the additional space you need to add in more books, something that every library can use!  

Help With Your Furniture  
When you contact Carroll Seating Company, you aren’t just calling someone to get furniture.  We will help you through every step of the way, from choosing the right library furniture for your space to installing it in the best locations to helping you with financing.  We want your library to look just as fantastic as you hoped and will do everything to make that dream a reality.  There are plenty of options to choose from, so be sure to take your time when you peruse the catalog.  We’ve been there for libraries for the last six decades – we’d love to work with you on yours.

The Right Library Equipment  
In order to have a proper library it needs to be furnished with the proper materials.  Libraries need desks and chairs in order to give people young and old a place to study and read.  They also need bookshelves in order to house all the wonderful titles that await readers.  Equipment installed should look stylish but still match your school’s tone even as it helps to save space and provide the best in functionality. casework     Carroll Seating Company

When you have the right equipment for your library, it can feel more open, more inviting, and will be more likely to attract students and teachers alike for more than just the occasional study session.

What Do You Need?  
Some schools, whether they are elementary or universities, require every single furnishing type.  Others may only need one or two things.  Give your library a thorough examination in order to determine what you need the most and what is affordable on your budget.  Remember, with Carroll Seating we can help you get the financing you need in order to get all the products you hoped for.

Bookcases are a must for any library.  If you discover that your shelves are bowing after years of holding the weight of books, then you may want to look into getting new ones.  This goes double for shelves that are bigger than they need to be, or simply too old and outdated.  There are a lot of innovative new styles that take up less space and are able to hold more, both in volume and in weight.

Library chairs give everybody a place to sit, whether they are students or teachers.  In the past, library chairs may have been hard and not very comfortable, but today you can obtain many different chair types, all of which are ultra comfortable, tasteful, and wonderfully chic.

Desks for libraries are needed for multiple functions.  These are the locations in which students will do their studying, professors will do research or conduct classes, or where computers will sit awaiting use.  There are even levels of customization when it comes to desks so you can choose the right desks for your library.  Function and form come together with all the options available so you can find desks that look perfect in your library and offer exactly what you need.

Watch Your Library Transform  
It can be amazing to see your library looking like its old self one day and then looking like brand new the next.  You can pick out what you believe will work best for your library in all three areas.  If you need help during the process at any time, you can contact us.  Carroll Seating Company has been working with schools for decades and keep up with the industry in order to provide you with the best in library furnishings.  It’s about high quality, excellent service, and of course, amazing results that you will love.  Talk to your school today about giving your library new life and let us know if there is anything we can do to help make that dream come true.

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