The library is the heart and soul of any institution of higher learning. When Salem State University had to close its library due to structural issues, the college’s president promised students and parents that it would convert an unused, open warehouse space into an interim library by the start of the next school year.

Salem State teamed with Red Thread to ensure that this high profile, fast track project not only met its deadline but also that it successfully served student, staff and faculty needs. With a 10-year track record providing solutions across the Salem State campus, Red Thread served as a one-stop shop for all furniture, audio visual and architectural systems throughout the 25,000-square-foot facility, which included library staff offices, hundreds for stations for study and computer work, group study rooms and a classroom.

Playing a key role from day one, Red Thread made sure that furniture, audio visual and architectural components were addressed in early planning sessions with architects, contractors and state agencies. Red Thread also developed a detailed schedule to smoothly guide product selection, configuration planning, delivery and installation within the tight timeline. This upfront planning not only ensured alignment between wiring and furniture and architectural systems, but also helped reduce change orders that could derail progress.

One of the project’s most important requirements was flexibility. As the space would be serving as a library for only a few years during the construction of a permanent library, Salem State wanted to be able to address the needs of departments who would later use the building. Red Thread provided Salem State with pre-wired, moveable walls from Steelcase, which allow the college to reconfigure the offices.

Red Thread also helped Salem State pursue LEED certification and achieve key goals for environmental sustainability in every corner of the new facility. For example, the moveable walls, which are MBDC Silver Cradle to CradleCM Certified, reduce construction waste and can be recycled for end-of-life disposal. The Answer workstations and seating selections are also certified as smart choices for the environment. At the same time, Red Thread worked closely with Salem State to re-use as much furniture from the closed library, which earned the college LEED credits.

Red Thread leveraged a set of standards that it developed to guide classroom furniture and equipment decisions throughout the campus for the library’s sole classroom. This high-end room features a sophisticated audio visual setup, including an interactive whiteboard, dual LCD projectors, drop-down screen and interactive podium, making it highly sought-after by faculty. In addition, Red Thread also wired group study rooms to accommodate future audio visual enhancements, helping the college further anticipate and easily meet the facility’s evolving needs over time.