Danko's Body Form Chair is "a fantastic child's chair." "Beautifully crafted and well priced." "Has a great wide seat—useful in children's areas since adults often sit on them." "Gets rave reviews." The Body Form Chair is stackable and comes in a variety of wood color options. www.peterdanko.com
"Best casual seating!" our experts said about Bretford's new Plus line. Clean lines but graceful curves. "Simple and well constructed." Could be integrated into a variety of contemporary library designs. The line includes chairs and three-seaters, both with and without arms, benches, or tables. Best fabric lines to use on them? Try Valley Forge faux leathers or Unika Vaev or Maharam fabrics. Bretford, Inc.,Franklin Park, IL. www.bretford.com/plus
"Big boy friendly!" is how one panelist described the handsome Bibliotheque chair from the Robert A.M. Stern's Library Collection. "Classic, evocative." "If you are outfitting a library for a military college, this is the chair for you." Available either with or without arms and an optional upholstered seat. www.davidedward.com
The CUBU-LUX is a translucent cube lit from within; different color filters can be used with the lamps. "Use it as a small table, stool, or for display. At around $300, it's inexpensive and works great in teen or children's areas." Seat cushions are available. Designed by Max Kistner and sold through TopDeq, www.topdeq.com
"The lite reference desk." "Connotes service, not a barrier. Has energy." Want to create a scaled-down service point? Our panelists appreciated the Concertina desk from TotaLibra for its openness and flexibility. It is easily adjustable, either electronically or manually, and includes three different depths for varied functions. Wire management is integrated. Available in a range of materials, with mobile pedestal files, pencil drawers, and more. www.totalibra.com
Two great lounge chairs from Cartwright. The Reilly (top): "Love the broad sweep of the wood arm and the contemporary styling." "Sits firm and is supportive for reading posture." "You can also 'gang them' without arms or with upholstered arms to create benchlike seating. Lots of flexibility here." The Joe: "Looks like a "club chair." Nicely scaled, provides a good 'sit,' with good styling." Jack Cartwright, www.jackcartwright.com
"Flexibility is a key requirement for today's library." TotaLibra's AxLibris furniture line was created to provide access to library services for wheelchair users, "but its excellent design and flexibility make it a good choice for all users." The AxLibris Data Tower is a vertically adjustable computer tower with cushioned pneumatic lift for easy adjustment. With optional privacy screens. www.totalibra.com
"It's all about flexibility." TotaLibra's Soft Seating lets you transform a children's area into a programming area that is perfect for story time. The soft seating cushions can be quickly restacked in the accompanying trolley. "A smart way to maximize your space." Cushions are available in a variety of shapes and sizes. www.totalibra.com
If library design needs to be versatile, why not the furniture? "Comfortable, stylish, and friendly." "Comes with great accessories." The To-Do chair from Haworth has a rotating arm, a kidney-shaped table (great for a laptop), even a cup holder. Perfectly able to support a variety of user needs, it would work great near that coffee bar. www.haworth.com
Library environments often straddle the traditional—think Carnegie— and the hi-tech—like an information commons. Palmieri Library Furniture's Fusion collection has a foot in both worlds. "I like that it combines both hardwood and steel." www.palmierifurniture.com
"The perfect task chair for patrons." "Extremely attractive and reasonably priced." In the Museum of Modern Art's permanent collection, the Uno chair is appreciated for its versatility and durability. "Your patrons will thank you!" www.steelcase.com
"Classic but hardly boring." "I could imagine grouping them around a fireplace." TMC's Algonquin lounge chair offers a variety of design choices, including a range of panel cutouts with a choice of wood finishes and color combinations. Available in lounge, love seat, sofa, or modular configurations. www.tmcfurniture.com
Sirsi's Digital Community Information Desk Kiosk extends the power of the library to malls, transportation centers, community centers—anywhere that you want a library presence. It presents self-service options, information services, and more, available 24 hours a day. "An attractive, streamline design to replace those bulky service kiosks." "The touch screen makes it inviting to use." www.sirsi.com
Tired of those hulking microfilm machines sitting in your reference area? Take a look at the ST 200 Series from S-T Imaging. It's a simple and small solution for viewing, printing, and scanning roll film. "Low profile, can integrate into the library LAN." With microfiche attachment. www.stimaging.com
"A great chair for multipurpose rooms." Haworth's X-99 Task Chair includes many personal adjustments, including a three-point tilt mechanism for optimal comfort. "There are lots of products like these, but this one surpasses most others in scale and comfort." www.haworth.com
Integrating RFID into an existing building has its challenges. Our panelists liked the Mark-3/TT from Libramation for its sleekness and modest footprint. Designed as a countertop self-check unit, it would integrate easily into existing millwork. www.libramation.com
"Technologically advanced, user-friendly, and great looking." The Wharton Lectern by Ki is height adjustable—a unique option in lecterns. Speakers can also store a laptop computer below the slide-open top; with smart wire management. "I like the look— like a cockpit of a plane." ki.com
"An ADA-accessible sink that is well designed, beautiful." "Accessibility with style!" "Much better than what is frequently used." The Murro Wall-MountSink; available in several colors. www.americanstandard-us.com
All of our panelists loved the Agati Baja side chair. Constructed with a solid wood frame, it includes formed wood veneer plywood seat and back panels. "Great seat, perfect width. It's super simple." "Clean, modern, not trying to be anything else." "Will age gracefully." Item No.: BAJ-STG-1000. Agati, Chicago, 312-829-1977,www.agati.com
"Good choice for renovations of traditional libraries." Handcrafted of solid American black cherry, the Baron Table will "hold up to plenty of traffic." "Could work as reading, study, or meeting table." Includes alternative wood species, wire management, custom inlay, and custom sizes. www.hustonandcompany.com
Panel of Experts
As the exhibit hall opened on Sunday morning at the American Library Association annual conference in Chicago, our team of architects, designers, and librarians hit the floor running, seeking out the best furnishings and equipment. Discussions were certainly lively, and not every recommendation was unanimous. Nor could every recommended product make it into print.
Panelists also followed up with additional submissions once they returned to their offices.
A big thanks to our "experts":
Beth Babikow (bbabikow@bcpl.net) Coordinator, Facilities Services, Baltimore County Public Library, Towson, MD, 410-887-6131 Stanley L. Daniels, FAIA (sdaniels@jova.com) Jova/Daniels/Busby Architecture Interior Designers Planners, Atlanta, 404-892-2890, x117 Jeffrey M. Hoover, AIA (jhoover@tappe.com) Principal, Tappé Associates, Inc., Boston, 617-451-0200 Elisabeth Martin, AIA (emartin@mda-designgroup.com) Principal, MDAdesigngroup international, New York, (212) 627 7788 Sara Rothholz Weiner, Assoc. AIA (sweiner@kke.com) Director of Interior Architecture, KKE Architects Inc., Minneapolis, 612-336-9610 Shawn Tonner (sctonner@ngcsu.edu) Assistant Director for Library Services Stewart Library, North Georgia College and State University, Dahlonega, GA, 706-864-1514 Denelle C. Wrightson, AIA (dwrightson@dewberry.com) Director of Library Architecture, PSA-Dewberry Inc., Dallas, 469-232 5245 L. Paul Zajfen, AIA, RIBA (pzajfen@coarchitects.com) Principal, CO Architects, Los Angeles, 323-525 0500
