Clarkson Book Support System

Book Support System designed by Christopher Clarkson to cater for books with a wide variety of structural variations. The system is used in institutions throughout the world. The book support is built up from lightweight units of synthetic foam. Synthetic foam allows a book’s uneven board surfaces, even with bosses and side pins, to be equally supported over their entire exterior surface. The particular density foam was chosen for the important non-slip characteristic required and the grey colour was found preferable for a library environment. The concept of related units has dictated the use of generalized angles and dimensions in the design. Simplicity and ease of storage (impossible to achieve with combined tilt-and-wedge designs) are special features of the style. The units consist of three basic shapes in various format sizes. Besides the synthetic foam units, one other piece of equipment is needed; a ‘snake’, strap of weighted fabric, which is used to hold the book open, two being required for each ‘place setting’.

The book supports are available as 6 piece sets for each of the three sizes: Large, Medium and Small. The wedges can also be used by themselves to display single sheet items at a reasonable reading angle.

Set Contains:

• One Base Wedge (A)


• Two Blunt Wedges (B)


• One Spine Support Strip (C)


• Two Rectangular Pads (D)

Dimensions: 

• Small: 15” x 9”


• Medium: 20” x 14”


• Large: 30-1/2” x 19”