Smith Storage Stool

smith-storage-stool-2

smith2

smith

It serves as a detachable file cabinet, a stool, a rolling cart and, in multiples, even stackable shelves.

Pretty clever little thing. Though at $700 a pop your library will need deep pockets to outfit your department with these. More info at Better Living Through Design.

The Smith Storage Stool is neat, but given the choice, I’d take a classic Kik-Step® Stool.

kik step

Can’t you just hear the hollow thud of kicking one of these? Then the squeak of the wheels followed by a clanking when you stand on it? So good.

Vintage Demco Letters

File this one under: from way back when, when people used to care.

Nate Hill was poking around the 4th Floor of the Chattanooga Public Library (it’s so hot right now!) and found an amazing pin mount letter system. He knew just the guy that would put this on the Web!

demco

tiltshift

tiltshift2

tiltshift4

Replacing horrible paper signs on stack end caps with this stuff would probably be a big improvement.

Previous vintage library ephemera on Walking Paper

Be An Army Librarian – 1963
Vintage Library Journal Wordmark
Library Hall of Fame from 1951

Blissymbolics Library Symbol

Recently on Radiolab I learned about Charles Bliss’ idea to achieve world peace by eliminating the use of words. He thought that unambiguous symbols did a better job communicating so he invited a writing system. Interesting! Flawed!

Here are the symbols representing library and librarian.

library blissymbol

librarian blissymbol

Previous library related symbols on Walking Paper:
National Park Service Library Symbol
National Library Symbol History & Implications