Published: 24 November 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Furnishing a Library

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.

Published: 19 November 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Locker Solutions

Lockers – they’re as much a part of the middle and high school as textbooks and teachers. These days, it seems there are so many different locker choices available that it can be tough to choose the right ones to meet the needs of your school. Many facilities, though, are sticking with the traditional steel school lockers, and for good reason. Take a look at the advantages.

Durability: Few materials choices beat steel when it comes to locker materials. Carefully welded and reinforced, all of your steel lockers are built strong with 16 gauge steel doors designed to ensure they last year after year. Whether you’re installing them in the locker room or throughout the building, they’ll be able to take the tough use students so often dish out.
Color Choice: Fortunately, steel lockers don’t have to be the color of steel. Instead, we create choices made for any color scheme. Whether you want to go with something that matches your school colors or you want various color schemes to meet the needs of given areas of your building, we can help you find the right choice for your facility.
Configuration Options: In some cases, a single tier setting is perfect for your space. In other situations, though, you may need to go with multiple tiers to help meet the space requirements of a given facility. No matter how much space you have (or you don’t have), we can help you find the perfect choice.

As you shop for the ideal school lockers to meet your needs, be sure to contact us. We offer some of the best choices available today, and we’ll help you spot lockers that work well for your student population and your bottom line. Give us a call today to learn more about how we can help.

Published: 11 November 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Seating Solutions

In many environments, the folding chair is nothing short of required equipment. The ideal method of portable, store-able seating, the humble folding chair is perfect for arenas, schools, and offices no matter what the occasion. The simple reality, though, is that it’s not very comfortable. Instead, it’s exactly the opposite – hard, cold, and very, very uncomfortable for anything more than a five minute session. Is there a happy medium? A seating choice that can give your facility the flexibility of a folding chair with a bit more comfort? Absolutely – the upholstered folding chair.

Upholstered folding chairs offer you the same excellent options traditional folding chairs do. They’re incredibly light and portable, and they’re very easy to store. The added bonus with this eating choice, though, is that both the seat and the backrest are padded, offering a level of comfort hard, cold, metal folding chairs just can’t. They come with various cushioning options to help reduce the fatigue and restlessness that so often accompanies the long periods of sitting in standard folding chairs.

Fortunately, though, they’re just as tough and long lasting as any other choice on the market. What’s more, though, is that you can add a number of different options. Consider vinyl or fabric upholstery. You may also want to emboss the chair backs or even add options to help connect the chairs when you’re working to create a perfect layout for a larger grou p. No matter what you want to do with these chairs, we help make it possible.

Available in a number of different colors and styles, upholstered folding chairs are the ideal solution for your facility. Whether you cater to students, large groups who need to fill an arena, or something completely different, our upholstered folding chairs can help you find the best of both worlds. Contact us today to learn more.

Published: 5 November 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Casework & Millwork

Thinking about built-in cabinets to enhance your space? They have much to offer any space, no matter what industry you’re part of. Take a look at a few of the amazing advantages they offer now.

Everything You Need, Nothing You Don’t: What’s going to work best in your office or lab space? perhaps you need a countertop just behind the main reception desk. Maybe you want taller cabinets in the hallway outside your office. Maybe it would help make your space more functional to have a small kitchenette in a given space. Built-in cabinets mean you don’t have to worry about what you can and cannot do. You design the form to fit the function, so there’s never any settling for what’s available in your office.
Designed to Fit Your Unique Space Requirements: Not all offices look the same, and finding off-the-shelf cabinetry to fit your needs can be difficult. Our custom cabinetry, though, takes everything into account, even if certain spaces are odd and not quite built for traditional cabinetry features.
The Perfect Style: You’ve worked hard to design that perfect office style, and custom cabinets can help to meet that style. Whether it’s a darker, traditional feel accented by gorgeous wood choices or a newer, modern feel highlighted by bright whites, built-in cabinets can help carry that feel throughout your space, ensuring absolutely everything is tied together just as it should be. From the moment your employees and potential clients enter, they’ll understand the tone of your office thanks to the cohesive style throughout.

The need for storage and functionality in any given space is nothing short of obvious, and built-in cabinets can fill that need while giving you so much more. Contact us today to learn how built-in cabinets can enhance your space.

Published: 26 October 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: case studies

Missouri State University was looking to upgrade the facilities for their Health Services programs. School Administration hired general contractor Dewitt & Associates to complete this project scheduled to be complete Fall 2015. Dewitt & Associates worked with the team at Carroll Seating to plan and design the install.

It’s a brand new building that the University worked hard to work for a more sustainable campus. The new building was sourced with responsible materials with recycled content, utilizes Rain Screen Technology, making the building thermally efficient and low maintenance. Walls of windows utilizing natural daylight to reduce energy consumption and improve learning.

This new facility houses multi-disciplinary health clinic, skills laboratories, offices, classrooms, and group study spaces for the Occupational Therapy, Physician Assistant Studies, Nursing, and Nurse Anesthesia programs. The University wanted stainless steel cabinets and stainless steel tops in some of the labs.

Here’s a photo after cabinet installation:

Published: 26 October 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: case studies, Success Stories

NIU Resident Hall Casework

Carroll Seating completed a 1.9 Million job at the New NIU first Year Residence hall in the summer of 2012. The job consisted of 80 cluster kitchens with casework and solid surface tops, 1,000 solid surface vanities with integral sinks, 1,000 closet shelves and rods, custom wood veneer panels and architectural woodwork throughout the mailroom, security area and cafeteria, and over a mile long of solid surface for window sills.

Published: 26 October 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: case studies, Success Stories

Liberty High School and Carroll Seating Installed new Sports Equipment & custom millwork bleacher

The Liberty High School and Liberty North High School were in need of updating. School administration hired general contractor Universal Construction for a major school renovation that involved the school cafeterias, weight room, staff lounge, entry, hallways and other areas. Universal Construction worked with the design team at Carroll Seating to plan the update and addition of the casework and milling to their communal areas and equipment to the gymnasium.

Published: 24 October 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: case studies, Success Stories

The Lyons Township High School auditorium was in need of updating. School administration hired general contractor Henry Bros Co. for a major school renovation that involved the auditorium, school cafeterias, locker rooms and utility areas. Henry Bros Co. worked with DLA Architects, Ltd. and the team at Carroll Seating to plan a full update their auditorium. Originally built in 1929, the building faced many challenges including tricky sloping.

Here is the auditorium before:

When all options were discussed, the design team chose Hussey’s Quattro Seats. The modular Quattro Collection is built on four superb core styles, each featuring a chair back created for a distinct aesthetic and practical effect. The classic series was chosen for its timeless style, great look and durable polymer outer panel.

Here is a photo after the Carroll Seating installation:

The team at Carroll Seating was pleased with the finished outcome of this auditorium that now seats over 800 patrons.

Published: 22 October 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: featured, Lecture and Theater Seating

With hundreds of students entering the classroom this fall, ensuring your learning facilities are adequate to meet their needs is nothing short of a must. While many schools think about the technology students need most to succeed, several overlook the importance of the basics, like comfortable lecture hall seating.

Does It Even Matter?

A chair is a chair is a chair, right? Not quite when it comes to building a productive learning environment. Studies have repeatedly shown that people learn better in comfortable environments, and if you’re selecting something that is about as comfortable as a rock, you’re going to have nearly that level of success in the classroom. The last thing instructors want is students to be concerned about their seating, and providing better options mean they’ll never have to give it a second thought as they move this way or that in their seats working to take notes and pay attention in class.

Are There Any Real Options Out There?

If you haven’t shopped for lecture hall seating recently, you may not even know that there are several options available to meet the needs of your students. Take a look at a few.

Swing Away Seating: Almost the ideal choice for every single lecture hall, swing away seats are easy to maintain and offer any space a streamlines look that’s perfect. Because they’re mounted above the floor, the space is easy to maintain, and you can add options like foam seat covers and more for student comfort.
Beam Seating: Whether you’re searching for radius or straight configurations, fixed beam seating is perfect when you want to maximize the seating space you have on hand. Nothing ever ends up out of place or in the way when you’re talking about fixed beams, and you can even go with additional comfort options like contour foam seats.
Single Pedestal Seating: When you want fixed seating, but you need a bit of individuality, this is a great choice. It gives you more functional space planning, as well as a solid level of comfort.
Multi-Purpose Seating: Perhaps the most flexible choice of all, multi-purpose seating allows you the opportunity to choose from a number of different seating options, but you can move all of it out of the space should you need it for other things. From traditional stacking chair designs that incorporate ergonomic comfort to stylish modern choices that add real character to your classroom, you might be surprised at the number of available options in this category.

Ready to get started? Contact us today for more information. We’ll help you come up with the ideal lecture hall seating to meet your needs.

Published: 16 October 2015

Written by Carroll Seating

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Categories: Bleacher seating

If you’re in the market for new bleachers, you have a number of different choices in front of you. Despite the overwhelming options on the market today, though, you may want to be thinking about wall attached bleachers. Take a look at a few of the advantages.

Safety – The safety of your students and patrons has to be foremost in your mind as you select bleachers to meet your needs, and all of our wall attached options are the safest bleachers you can consider today. Locked, braced, and carefully designed, these bleachers are one of the securest choices on the market whether you’re walking on them or sitting on the top row.

Flexibility – If you’re like most venues today, flexibility is the name of the game, and wall mounted bleachers with retractable options allow you to use your space as you need it. From the basketball games that define your arena to the career fairs that are an absolute must, flexibility is important to your space, and wall mounted bleachers provide you with just that.

Durability – All of our bleachers are backed by a limited lifetime warranty. In fact, we provide one of the best warranties in the industry, so you can count on the fact that you’ll never have a problem with any of our products.

Easy to Use – We offer bleachers with wireless or pendant power control so the old idea of dragging the bleachers out when you want to use them is long gone. Today’s best models are easy to use in almost any situation you can imagine.