The Princeton Community Library would like to thank the Tocker Foundation for it's help in our purchase of new furniture this year. We received a grant which we used to get library quality items (this means that they should last forever, and are really, really strong) to make us ADA compliant, more comfortable for the patrons, more prepared for future growth, more privacy conscious, more space-conscious, and to have a more updated look.We now have a bike rack, and outdoor bench seating! Up till now, people were sitting on the ground outside, and taking their bikes inside the library. This is much better, and prettier. Don't you agree?
Inside, we have the audio-visual collection on kiosks that spin - talk about space savers - and wood furniture that actually matches. There's now space (see the table below) to spread out books and read through them before you pick out just the right ones, or study, or sit and read the newspaper, or quickly drink up that soda you're not allowed to have in the library.
The computer desks have partitions between each station for privacy, and there's enough desk space for each person to put paperwork, or personal belongings, or a purse - and best of all, there's elbow room. The desks also have different heights, to allow for wheel chairs to slide underneath, or to make people who need a bit more leg room to fit. In keeping with the adjustable height idea, our new office chairs (used to be metal folding ones) go up and down with ease, as well as have no arm rests so they're extra accommodating. The chairs are also built to maintain their cush for hours, so no more aches and pains from sitting at the computer!
The biggest change, is the shelves. They save alot of space, being taller, and having adjustable shelf-heights, giving us more shelves per aisle than was ever possible before. They look more "professional" too - they're what all the other libraries have - instead of looking like we were in someone's basement or garage. These are steel; they won't warp or break or start to tip from the weight of the books - no matter how heavy the books get. Plus, the black color really makes all the books "pop"; most of our books are white with colored lettering, and those old white, particle board shelves just made them disappear.
All this is thanks to the people at Tocker. They are a foundation dedicated to helping small Texas libraries grow. They're a miracle, if you ask me. We really wouldn't have been able to do any of this without them. Thank you, and Godbless.
You can read more about them at their website: http://www.tocker.org/index.html.
