A book stand is a great gift idea for any true lover of books. Currently proffered types range from straight forward wire creations such as the Fold’N'Stow that supports a book at user selectable angles on just about any flat surface, to the infinitely more elaborate LEVO Bookholder which retains your book in either a floor standing model or a clamp-on model that securely fastens to just about any table, desk, or counter top. Many book stand designs function well with hard cover books, but most also can work quite nicely with paperback books mounted in book holders like an OpenPage.
The Fold’N'Stow is among the least expensive of book stands. It folds virtually flat and comes with it’s own convenient pouch punched for easy placement in a three ring binder. It can be positioned on a countertop for cook books, or atop any desk, table, workstation, bench, etc. Wire arms with page holders extend from the back to hold your book open, and, by moving the arms either closer together or farther apart, smaller and larger books may be easily accommodated. The back of the stand also has horizontal pieces that can be raised or lowered to adjust the angle at which the book is held relative the substrate.
The most popular model of the LEVO book stand is the LEVO floor standing model, which includes a weighted base on casters for easy movement just about anywhere. Wherever you choose to put it, the LEVO can position in virtually any position you can imagine. Incorporating a bookboard that can be moved in any plane, and coupled with a book mounting system that will secure your book, even in an inverted position, the LEVO enables hands-free reading from just about any position.
The LEVO Clamp On model is just as handy as the LEVO Floor Model, but incorporates a clamp that firmly attaches to any countertop, workbench, desk, table or other flat surface up to two inches thick, and offers identical movements as the floor model, without the range of vertical telescoping movements. By keeping your book or other reading materials above the surface to which it is secured, the clamp on design saves the weight and expense of the rolling base while conserving work space, since your book doesn’t rest on the surface.
While there are other book stand designs available, the Fold’N'Stow and LEVO designs have withstood the test of time and stand up well to constant use.