Mourners grieve the loss of Palm Springs Public Library chairs during touching tribute
We first brought you the story of the Palm Springs Public Library chairs in January. The devastating condition of the furniture even caught the attention of Jimmy Kimmel Live!
$65K to be spent on new chairs, tables for Palm Springs library
Thursday, the chairs were finally put to rest and eulogized. Over a dozen mourners gathered today for a private ceremony, closing the final chapter on the chairs, known for cushioning bibliophile backsides for more than 40 years.
“I am still coming to terms with your absence. The pain is great. We still feel you with us. Why chairs? Why?” said Jeannie Kays, director of Palm Springs Public Library, in her tribute to the chairs.
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A 21 book salute was attempted, but scaled down to just 3 books due to a lack of budget and general interest.
“Those chairs have served a long, hard life, and we felt like they deserved some respect,” said Kays.
At the end of the ceremony, the chairs were scooted through the halls for one last ride around the aisles, and in proper library fashion, they went out without a sound. They will be cherished always.
“I want to say a special thank you to Jimmy Kimmel and Guillermo for their thoughts and prayers for the Palm Springs library chairs,” said Kays.
The library held over $50,000 from its budget last year to invest in the new furniture. An additional $20,000 is coming from library trust funds.
Sadly, no sum of money can replace the decades of memories created while lounging in the library, leafing through everything from Lolita to Les Miserables.
The fabric on these new chairs is rated for one million sittings before it is expected to wear. We’re told the hope is that these chairs will withstand the use of generations to come.
The now-retired seats served as an ideal home for tome-lovers for decades, but their place in the grammatical great beyond (see: a landfill) will finally grant them respite from the rumps of readers.
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