We are two sister companies who work together. Opening the Book Ltd provides library designs, installations, websites and staff training. Opening the Book Furniture Ltd designs and sells freestanding library display furniture.

Opening the Book was founded by Rachel Van Riel in 1991. Rachel invented the term reader development and the company led the growth of the reader-centred ideas now embedded in UK library practice. Since 2000, Opening the Book has applied the customer-centred approach to library space planning and we now specialise in design and installation of library interiors. The main Opening the Book office is in Yorkshire but we have staff working for us on website projects, training programmes and library installations from Brighton to Fife.

Opening the Book Furniture Ltd was founded by Helen Thomas and Rachel Van Riel in 2001 to bring the best of retail and reader development approaches together to benefit libraries. The company designs and manufactures an innovative range of library display furniture which has helped many adult, children's and school libraries to transform the look of their space and engage more people in reading. We have a lovely Showroom in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter where you are welcome to visit any time.