The BookSpace Philosophy

Our library furniture range and design principles are the result of years of research into presenting books positively to children.

We take time to understand the needs of school libraries, listening to headteachers, class teachers, librarians and most importantly of all, children.

We look at up-to-date educational, psychological and retail studies to find out what motivates a child to pick up a book and read.

All of this research is then fed into our products to make sure we design stimulating school libraries that really make a difference.

Book Display Talking about books School Library Signage Expert Installation Quality BookSpace Philosophy Colour Collection

Educational research

Did you know reading by choice rather than by obligation is the biggest predictor of academic success?

Children between the ages of 10 and 16 who read for pleasure make more progress in maths, vocabulary and spelling than those who rarely read
Reading for pleasure is more important to development than parental income or level of education
Reading for pleasure is found to have a positive impact on emotional and personal development

We recognise that motivating children to read for pleasure is a key challenge for many schools. This is where a BookSpace library can make the difference.

BookSpace creates exciting school libraries that are attractive, imaginative and tempt children to explore further.

Most importantly of all, a BookSpace library puts the focus on the books.

Psychological research

At BookSpace, we often take a ‘less is more’ approach when designing school libraries. In fact, psychological research tells us that many people find it easier to choose from smaller selections. What does this mean for a school library?

We need to find ways to make book display more manageable for children
We need to break up rows and rows of spine-out shelving with face-out display so children can see the front covers of the books

BookSpace library shelving has been specifically designed to display the books in the best way to encourage children to read out, pick up a book and start their journey as lifelong readers.

Make the reading experience fun, positive and engaging

We incorporate seating, archways, cosy reading nooks and innovative book display features to transform boring libraries into stimulating spaces that get children excited about reading.

Our latest Read-and-Share range has lots of ideas and ways to encourage children to talk about books and share their personal reading experiences.

Retail research

Retail researchers observe customer behaviours in shops and use this information to create maximum impact in order to promote their products.

Let’s face it, book sellers know how to create eye-catching displays that grab our attention and draw you inside.

Here’s what we’ve learnt:

Books must be easy to see with plenty of face-out display
Spaces must be designed to entice young readers to explore every corner of the library

BookSpace library shelving is unique. It has been designed for primary schools and cleverly provides a winning combination of spine-out storage and face-out display for books of different shapes and sizes. Angled shelves (another retail technique) tilt the books up to the eye and instantly make them look more appealing.

“Good school libraries are powerhouses of reading and learning. Our research shows that they help raise pupils’ literacy levels, improve access to knowledge, improve self-esteem and stimulate a love of reading, all of which give children the building blocks they need to succeed at school and beyond.”