Furniture and Equipment for School Buildings

Abstract

TRUE (70) PUBLISHED AN ARTICLE ENTITLED Wanted: Equipment Research. The title expressed a need that has existed and does still exist. Setting up standards as proposed by Klehm (37, 38) for industrial arts, or as suggested by Morphet (50), and as is being carried out to an extent (35, 50), is but a part of the research needed. For instance, the use factor hardly has been considered. Certainly, it has not been adequately considered under controlled conditions, taking into consideration such factors as climate, humidity, amount of use, longevity, location with respect to heat and sunlight, and ease of care and repair. It should be noted that certain items which may be a specified part of a building are in a sense equipment. In this classification come light fixtures, blackboards, public address systems, radios, lockers, showers, toilets, drinking fountains, and door checks. This report does not include many of these items since they are treated elsewhere. In some instances, however, they are included in references cited. Two excellently prepared and annotated bibliographies have been prepared by Smith and Noffsinger. The first bibliography (66) dealt with college and university buildings, grounds, and equipment. The second bibliography (67) dealt with school buildings, grounds, and equipment. A bibliography on school and college buildings was presented by Leggett (41). In a careful piece of research, Morris (51) listed the various pieces of equipment needed for the auditorium, gymnasium, English, social studies, mathematics, science, domestic science, commerce, shop, language, music, arts and crafts, manual arts, health, audio-visual aids, and studentgovernment activities. Surveys of equipment were made by Larson (40) and Clarson (15). Zook (76) reported progress in the analysis and development of specifications and standards of school equipment. Working under a grant from the General Education Board and in cooperation with the National Bureau of Standards, tentative specifications have been set up for the folding chair and the removable chair desk and have been issued for study and criticism. In the same report, Zook stated that field work and tabulation of data have been completed in a study of the utilization and distribution of school sanitary facilities and noted the need for a broad research approach to the problem.