Leslie Carothers Joins Bienenstock Furniture Library Board

Furniture World News Desk on 1/15/2013

Industry veteran Leslie Carothers has joined the Board of Directors of the Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library. She will lead social media efforts for the non-profit organization. In making the appointment, Charlie Sutton, President of the Board said “Leslie is the preeminent expert on social media in our industry. For 11 years her company has provided furniture, interior design, lifestyle and individual brands with social media strategic consulting and ideation. She will be helping the library to develop its social media strategy and training staff and interns to use these new mediums to communicate what makes this library special to a younger and broader audience.”

Carothers commented, “This is a natural fit for me. I have loved and collected rare books all my life—especially design books. I own several first editions and some rare books. I have a passion for this industry and in developing and mentoring students.” In fact, Ms. Carothers was honored with WITHIT's President's Award for her service to the organization and her industry.

Russell Bienenstock, Board Member noted, "We are pleased to have Leslie join the Board of Directors. As a pioneer in the application of social communications at all levels of the furniture industry she is in a position to help spread the word about the Library's unique resources for design, research, and collaboration worldwide. Her forward looking insights about how people who are passionate about furniture and design want to receive and share information will be valuable asset to the Library."

In 2013, Ms. Carothers added a new division to her company, The Kaleidoscope Partnership, providing cost effective workshops and paid video content regarding specific tips on how to use social media. She is an international speaker, writer of Furniture Today magazine's Retail Ideas blog, Retail Ideas, and an editorial contributor to Furniture World Magazine. She is a well-known design and furniture micro blogger on Twitter, under the user-name @tkpleslie. In 2012, Decorex, named her Twitter account one of the 100 most influential design blogs in the world.

About Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library: The Bernice Bienenstock Furniture Library—a worldwide center for research, design, and collaboration—holds the world's largest collection of rare and significant books on the history and design of furniture. Founded in 1970 and endowed by the Bienenstock family, the Library is devoted the advancement of knowledge about design, furniture, interiors, architecture, textiles, finishes, and constructions.

The rare book collection contains volumes published since 1640. With the exception of Yale, it is the only library in America that houses the original works of 18th century furniture masters Chippendale, Sheraton and Hepplewhite, as well as a complete set of Diderot's Encyclopedia. (26 volumes published in the 18th Century.) Unlike Yale, the Bienenstock Furniture Library is open to the public. A special climate and humidity controlled room houses these rare volumes. An appointment with the curator is required to examine these books, and you must wear white gloves, but they are available to the public. The library also contains rare drawings and furniture details. It is a treasure trove of inspiration for anyone interested in design.

The Library operates a specialty bookstore selling significant contemporary works, out-of-print, and hard-to-find volumes. Most Library services are free. Bienenstock Furniture Library, located in High Point NC, is open to the public and welcomes professionals and scholars for research, collaboration, meetings, seminars, lectures, and events. Visit www.furniturelibrary.com. The easiest way to stay up to date on the developments of the library is to “like” its Facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/BienenstockFurnitureLibrary.