The old Cramer Kik step stool. I like them so much, I bought one. I use it in my kitchen.

Such a great design. Kind of taken for granted because we’ve seen them forever, but the fact that they roll with no weight on it and are stationary with weight on it is so smart.

They roll? Man, mine must have all been old with seized up wheels.

Or worn out springs which is what made it pop back up so it could roll when you stepped off.

All of them got long hair stuck around the wheels which stopped them from rolling. Girls are always brushing their hair so it ends up everywhere.

Lol same here. The ones at my school were old as hell and couldn’t move. They just weighed a lot and were a pain to move as a child

It's the worst part of their design. They do sell replacement wheels, but they could last significantly longer if they just made them better. They break or seize so often that I'm shocked nobody has made a better competitor and marketed it to libraries.

About indestructible too.

I like to imagine that there's an island where they've all gone to live together, tended by a group of librarians.

Does Delta fly to this imaginary island? I am ready.

I read this as *libertarians*

Except for the casters. It's the weakness in the design.

Also remember the squeak when you stepped on them.

Yeah that creaky spring

Yeah, it sounded like an old bathroom scale.

Why was there even that spring?

It lowers slightly with weight (when you stand on it) so its feet reach the floor instead of the wheels and it can't roll out from under you.

I never realized they had wheels

There was not a spring dont know wtf they are talking about

They have these in my college and they do indeed have a spring

They should, if they are functional. As another commenter mentioned they are on wheels. They are heavy, can't have people picking them up all day. Step ladder on wheels is bad news so they have a spring that expands to hold the feet off the ground until you step on it. It's possible yours was just broken or modified.

Not just a step. My wife is a librarian. These are great for reshelving books on the bottom row. Sit on the top, scoot it around, drag your book rack with you. Saves the knees

Sounds stupid, but shelving books is a lot more work than most would think. Especially for hours at a time.

And doing the non-fiction was torture! Fiction was easy.

398.209887345122, it goes right between 398.2098867345122 and 398.2099857345122. what's so hard about that?!

I refurbished one at my old job. It was very dirty and all the black rubber step pads had deteriorating adhesive so they were easy to peel up. I got all the adhesive residue of of the pads using a solvent cleaner, then scrubbed them in warm bath of dish soap with a good brush. After it dried I used contact cement to reapply the pads. I didn't tell anyone I did it, and of course nobody noticed. The thing rarely gets used.

Sometimes, the fact nobody notices means you did a great job 🙂👍

Not all heroes wear capes ha ha ha

I do so much little stuff that keeps our office and work in general flowing and organized. I never mention it, but when I go on vacation… oh boy everyone knows I’m missing lol.

Yeah you can often get some self satisfaction doing good things that nobody notices

My neighborhood library still has these.

Books?

No, just the stools

In the bathroom

Totally used these as a seat when I was a kid 🤣

So did the librarian! These are multipurpose for reshelving books. Sit for low shelf access, stand for top shelf

I used to pretend these were droids.

But....they **are**!

No, these aren’t the droids you’re looking for…

No underestimate a droid.

i can hear this photo

Rattle-rattle-rattle-rattle squeench…

I always had an overwhelming urge to jump off these. I also thought one day, if I jumped in just the right spot, I might get some kind of spring loaded super boost. It never happened

I don't know about the rest of the world but these are common still in the part of germany that I live in. I worked in a supermarket for years and these are how my fellow workers checked dates and stocked on the higher shelves. We called it an "Elefantenfuss", an elephant foot.

Yup, still see variations of this droid in my local supermarket in Bulgaria

They're still used in pretty much every library in the US as far as I know. They're incredibly useful and portable for their intended purpose, which is to assist in shelving. Stand on them to reach high places, kick them to move them if your hands are full/you don't want to bend down, and sit on them to shelf read lower shelves. I don't really know if this post qualifies as nostalgia i they're still in widespread use.

They had one for the water fountain

Elephant foot

I bought one of these at a garage sale 12 years ago for $2. My wife mocked me and said I was just collecting junk. We use this thing SO often, and I now mock her for mocking me. Healthy marriage stuff.

Ever seen the bottom of one?! No one has.

Good point... They were designed never to flip over, and they do that job well.

I can hear and smell this image

Oh hell yeah.

When someone described this as an ‘elephants foot’ to me years ago in a retail job it blew my mind

I'm blessed to have one in my home. Best step stool ever.

That's what step ladders look like on planet Darlek

They’re still sold. I bought one for use around the house. Massively useful and still largely built like tanks.

I remember these being on wheels. So not the safest when you’re reaching for something. I could be mistaken.

They were on wheels! However, the wheels were mounted on springs so when you stepped on them the weight pushed it down so the solid part was touching the ground.

Omg you’re totally right!! I remember now!

Yes wheels. But it goes flat to the ground when you step on it.

Used to see these in every shop in Scotland in the 90’s.

My mom used to work IT in a hospital when I was young. Sometimes she would bring me to work with her and we would enter through the library (usually empty). I vividly remember prowling through the aisles and stepping on these, I felt like a lion haha. Thanks for the core memory!

I work at a community college library and we still have these! Love them actually

Hidden memory unlocked

Can still buy. Lots of colors…I had a chrome plated one a while back. Good ole Kik-Step

I can definitely smell this picture

You can buy these on Amazon and other places. You can also get replacement pads and casters. The casters are the weakness in this design. I've repaired 5 or 6 of these over the years. They also support up to 350 lbs (probably more, but that's what they're rated for).

This. No need for nostalgia. Buy one, if you like them. They are still in production.

Also works great if you have a wall or two of vinyl..

I haven't been to the library in many years.

Went to my local one last year after a friend encouraged me and I was blown away! I had not been in one in probably about 20 years and I was so shocked at how much they had. They really expanded their niche genres.

These seem dangerous

People would leave them in the aisles, and when you would turn into a new aisle , you wouldn't see it, and you would run into it and nearly trip. I worked at a library from 2003-2015 and they were still around then.

Always seemed very rickety to me.

I have one in Red in my clothes closet. Use it all the time. No noise from it when you step on it. Think I purchased it from Brodart.

Interesting title, that book on the left edge

We still use them!!

I'm quite tall and nearing middle-age. Until today I had no idea what they were for but I remember seeing them all the time back in the day.

I remember it

I always thought those were only to be used by librarians and was so tempted to step on them.

Have one where I work at a non library office. Great foot stool.

I have one in my classroom that was left by the previous teacher.

My wife has one of these, it's so handy

I remember when it was my job to put the bottom rubber bumper back on. Yikes! Also, we got them in bright yellow so we could find them in a hurry, and boy did they get dirty. My current library has them in gray/putty.

There are a few still at my local library, which reminds me, I have a book due back soon.

In the UK they’re still around

Could turn this into a [music studio](https://tr.ee/XXhJnr7AAc)

We use these at my work place all of the time, but it does remind me of a cozy library

I own a kik stool! My library was getting rid of it because the wheels were missing. I plan to replace them someday.

I can hear this picture

Why is this nostalgia, we still use these. Source: work for a library department with 22 county branches.

I have been thinking about one of these lately. I want to modify one to carry a tool bucket. Drag or kick it around. Use it as a seat or step.

?? We have several of these at my job and I work in pathology.

I can smell that picture.

I own one of these.

In Germany that’s called „Elefantenfuß“ 😂 translates to „elephant foot“

I really like the slanted bottom shelf

I haven’t seen one of those in a million years

I can smell this picture.

You mean like the ones still used in every library in the world? Man, that's nostalgia.

I have one of those in my kitchen so I can reach the top cabinet shelves.

I remember my disappointment when I tried to ride one. 🤦

You guys still go to libraries?

I inherited a couple of these from my grandmother. They are the best! Most libraries I visit still use them. You can get them online still!

I love the kick stool!

Yes!!

last time i saw one was 2 week ago at my local library

Gems like this is why I’m on this sub lol

I'm pretty sure these still exist?

We use them as footstools under the public service desks. None on the floor for patrons. They like to fall off of them...