ETC Rigging's Prodigy hoist gives Jersey library a lift

	Photo by: Carl Clegg, Starlite Productions

E-readers may seem to be threatening to do to libraries what email did to the post office - "except that libraries are roaring back," says Carl Clegg, of Starlite Productions, Moorestown, New Jersey. "Libraries are thriving as multiuse venues -- loaning e-books, offering free computer access, and pairing lattes with literature in onsite cafes. Many libraries -- like mine -- are becoming the cultural centerpiece of their communities." Clegg's library -- the Burlington County Library in Westampton, New Jersey -- has invested to remake its facility, including a new roof and heating/air-conditioning, an expanded teen area, a new family area, an expanded indoor/outdoor café, and a 250-seat auditorium outfitted with an ETC Rigging system.

Like many people of a certain age, Carl Clegg spent a lot of his childhood at his library searching through actual cards in the card catalog, borrowing books and tapes, using the copy machine and video-rental technologies. Since then, of course, things have changed dramatically. Burlington County Library's state-of-the-art auditorium is designed for many purposes (which also presented some challenges to those who would construct it). A projection booth is necessary for the library's "Friday Night Movies" series, while a community-theater company requires motorized rigging so that lighting, curtains, and sound can be hung and changed out easily in the space.

The cost-effective solution to these new rigging needs was offered by local Burlington County company Starlite Productions. Starlite's project manager Brandon Creel presented several options to library officials, including ETC's compact Prodigy hoist system with built-in power-control distribution, which was ultimately elected.

The ETC system was installed in the front-of-house lighting position. The Prodigy hoist, along with ETC's unique compression tube, beam clamps, and loft blocks, can be hidden neatly above the ceiling tiles. The benefit of ETC's motorized-rigging application is that the lighting bar can be lowered to just above the audience seats (at the push of a button), allowing an operator to easily change front-of-house lights, gel, and focus right from the ground. The innovative Prodigy design also eliminates the need for bulky and unsightly power cables that would have to be managed along with the light bar itself.

The Prodigy hoist's motor is conveniently located above an aisle for service and annual inspections, and every lift line is precisely located in the center of the drop-ceiling tile. Starlite worked with the general contractor Puente Construction Enterprises and electrical contractor JJS Electric to coordinate installation and ensure the roof could handle the loads. IBEW electricians assisted in the installation of the Prodigy system under Creel's direction and supervision.

The finished product follows both form and function. "The hoist looks seamlessly integrated with the building and performs flawlessly for whomever needs to use it," says Clegg. "The ETC Prodigy P1000E hoist is a smart solution to this new community theater's needs. The citizens of Burlington County now have a theater-production gem located right in their main library."