Reading Room Furniture

["Bruce L. Johnson" <bjohnson@indy.net>]

I have a question regarding reading room furniture.  The issue is 
providing a reading room/reference desk or table 
that is "kind" to both material and researchers.  That is, one that 
provides sufficient space to do research safely (even when using oversize 
material), a place to plug in a tape recorder, a place for a laptop with 
the keyboard at the proper height for typing, and a light sufficient to 
make research a pleasure rather than a challenge--and perhaps all of 
these things at the same time.  An ordinary table, such as those we now 
use, just don't work well when people move beyond simple note-taking and 
begin to use various kinds of equipment.  The Indiana Historical Society 
has reached the interior design phase of its new headquarters building 
project, and we have not yet developed a good answer to this design 
question.  Can anyone recommend a vendor, or have you had good luck 
designing something from scratch, that can provide these kinds of 
characteristics with its reading room furniture?  A reply to me off-list 
(bjohnson@indy.net), or a general-interest reply would be greatly 
appreciated. Thanks much!
Bruce L. Johnson
Indiana Historical Society Library
Indianapolis, IN
bjohnson@indy.net