Folder + Hymnal storage
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 195
    Currently, our choir has folders and hymnals in stacks on a table. It's disorganized, and quite laborious/messy for members to quickly locate their numbered folder.

    So, we're looking for a good bookshelf or media shelf with dividers that fit a 1" folder (sized 12"x12"...standard, Avery black folder) and a Gather hymnal. Unfortunately, I had no idea how hard it is to find a bookshelf with small dividers, with appropriately sized spaces. Does anybody have any suggestions for choir folder+hymnal storage bookshelves?
  • CharlesW
    Posts: 11,985
    You can spend a lot of money with companies that provide church furniture. I happened to have a couple of good hobby carpenters in my parish that could make what I needed at a much lower cost.

    As a librarian, I am familiar with your choir's filing system. We call it the "flingit" method - they fling it here, they fling it there... Nice to know my choir is not the only one that does that.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • CHGiffenCHGiffen
    Posts: 5,198
    Let your flingers do the walking wailing ...
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • futurefatherz
    Posts: 36
    Why not let your choristers take their folders home? That way they can practice on their own between rehearsals. :)

    (In my experience, that doesn't seem to work well either.)
    Thanked by 1CharlesW
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    I agree with Charles. This would be easy for an amateur carpenter, especially if you don't need great beauty.
    Thanked by 1canadash
  • madorganist
    Posts: 906
    I agree that a local carpenter is your best bet, but that could take a while. If you want a quicker (and cheaper) solution, buy a bunch of metal bookends and arrange them to make slots along a table, counter, or shelf. It's certainly not ideal aesthetically, but it will work.
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    Not sure I fully understand... Wouldn't any standard bookshelf work? Why the need for a "choir bookshelf?" Try checking things like craigslist.
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • madorganist
    Posts: 906
    Ben, he wants one with dividers so there is a cubicle for each chorister's music. It's very hard to find shelves with this configuration because of the dimensions of a three-ring binder. Storing a binder on its spine or outer edge usually isn't a good idea. My suggestion of using bookends as dividers would work with a bookcase if the shelves were adjustable or else at least 13" apart.
    Thanked by 2Ben canadash
  • G
    Posts: 1,401
    Levengers used to make what they called a "project box," which was almost perfect, but awfully expensive.
    Short, low cost mdf book cases with numerous additional shelves and pins would be a quick IKEA/Target/Walmart solution. I have (too) many 3-ring binders of music at home, and many, about 30 can be stored flat on a fifteen dollar case with the shelves and spoon pins from another added to it.

    I have also used what is called a "pot lid rack" to organize file folders of music at Church.

    (Save the Liturgy, Save the World)
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    image
    Thanked by 2CHGiffen Ben
  • JulieCollJulieColl
    Posts: 2,465
    Really cool cabinet.
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    @Ben: as seen above, the idea is a slot for every person

    @Adam: Is that from an advertisement? Those are 30 of the absolute whitest names you could possibly imagine; that must be Miss Bianca McWhitely's class.
  • Carl DCarl D
    Posts: 992
    That picture looks like it's cardboard, so it would start falling apart after a month. I made a similar configuration out of MDF and Masonite in routed slots for the various papers I use. Took a couple of hours and was no big deal.
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 195
    @Adam: Exactly! That's what I'm looking for. Do you know where this was purchased from?
  • BenBen
    Posts: 3,114
    I see. Makes more sense.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    A search for "office mailbox" brings up various versions of the above in various materials. The cardboard model depicted above costs $28.
  • Adam WoodAdam Wood
    Posts: 6,482
    Click the picture - it's a product pic.
    That one is cardboard. They make wooden ones too.
    And plastic.
  • MarkThompson
    Posts: 768
    The problem is that most of them (such as the model pictured above) will not fit 12-inch-wide folders like the OP's. I poked around a bit, couldn't find a model with compartments that wide.
  • chonakchonak
    Posts: 9,220
    Well, you could go for shelving units with quite large segments, e.g., this.
    Thanked by 1Adam Wood
  • cmbearer
    Posts: 75
    If you don't know Wenger, they sell all sorts of music program "extras" from modular practice rooms to music stands.
    They have a line of music folio cabinets:

    http://www.wengercorp.com/storage/mobile-folio-cabinets.php

    They are expensive, but the quality is good. I have one that is still being used since our church was built 30 years ago.
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