The Word South Shields Library

The Word – aka the National Centre for the Written Word – opened to national acclaim in October 2016, attracting 175,000 visitors in the first four months alone. It boasts an impressive range of facilities including exhibition and digital media spaces, children’s storytelling area and a rooftop terrace with views across the Tyne.

Central to the success of the new library is its design, completed by Newcastle-based architects FaulknerBrowns. “What was profoundly interesting about this project was the ambition of South Tyneside Council to push the boundaries of what is relevant for a library, and how you attract all groups in society,” said Steve Dickson of FaulknerBrowns.

Bruynzeel Storage Systems won the tender to supply all the shelving for the new library and local study centre. “Bruynzeel supported us with an efficient, effective steel solution for the shelving, with a clean and simple aesthetic,” said Dickson.

The main static shelving in the public areas of the library features Bruynzeel Sysco steel shelving encased in American white oak veneer cladding, including the base. The shelves are 300mm deep, with five shelves per bay. The height of the bays is 1914mm, giving a maximum top pick level of approximately 1500mm – creating a visually pleasing design with good sight lines throughout the building. The function of the shelving is just as important as its look and feel, however, particularly for end users and the client.

Principal Librarian Julia Robinson was attracted by the advantages of the new shelving systems from a practical, working perspective. “I love the shelving. It’s exactly the right height. The trend a few years ago was for very curvy shelves. This is a dream come true compared to that style – so lovely and straight! When you get to the end of the row, you know exactly where you are in the index system. With the curved shelving we had previously, it was all mixed up. The shelving was too low, and you never knew where you were in the Dewey system. You’d get to the end of a shelf and not know where to go next!”