Oftentimes, library stacks are dark, almost ominous. Unlike in the movies, you can barely see from one row to another. There is a lot of heaviness in some library shelving, which doesn't bode well for people who like visibility and transparency. But not all library shelving is like this. Libro-Wood by VS America, for example, considerably lightens the look of book stacks with an open design and clean beechwood frames.

Libro-Wood. Manufactured by VS America.

Light and Airy Beechwood Library Shelving

The Libro-Wood system consist of single and double-sided basic and add-on shelves, as well as special add-on shelves for staggered rows and corner shelves. Constructed of solid, glued, beechwood frames, Libro-Wood features a sleek frame system and a clean open look-it is, in some ways, defined by its series of negative spaces, all of which feature a Mondrian-like geometry.

Top and bottom shelves are fixed, while all intermediate shelves are freely positionable. For easy shelving-because no librarian wants their volumes leaning to and fro, in danger of falling over-the Libro-Wood system comes with a fitted groove built into the underside of the shelves which allows for hanging bookends. These hanging bookends, unlike traditional bookends that are attached to the bottom of the shelves, keep the look of the shelving unobstructed.

The shelves themselves are made of melamine-resin laminated LIGNOpal chipboard in a grey white color, lightening the appearance of the units and creating a nice backdrop on which to display books of all colors. The books, after all, should take center stage-and Libro-Wood is designed to highlight a library's reading material, not to veil it with dark and heavy rows.

About the Manufacturer: Headquartered in Charlotte, NC, VS America, Inc. produces ergonomic furniture for the education market. The company's German parent company, VS Vereinigte Spezialmoebelfabriken GmbH & Co. KG (VS), has been manufacturing educational furniture for more than 100 years and is the largest supplier of school furniture in Europe.