A lectern is a piece of furniture.
The lectern is a piece of furniture that has the appearance of an inclined plane . Its function is to support a sheet of music, a notebook or another type of document so that the person can read more comfortably.
The lectern, in short, is a support . These pieces of furniture have feet so that the contents are accessible for reading. In fact, there are currently lecterns whose foot can be adjusted in height to adapt to different users.
Before moving forward, it is important to analyze the etymological origin of the term. In this case, we can state that it is a word that comes from the Latin lectorile , which resulted in lectrile and can be translated as “linked to the reader.”
Types of lectern
We can establish that there are three types of lecterns:
- Table lectern . It is placed, as its name indicates, on the table around which the person is sitting. It allows you to put everything from a computer or a tablet to a book through pages of different sizes. This model is the one used by many students as well as office workers. These elements are used to be able to have different documents at hand and in view while performing other functions.
- Floor lectern . It has both a foot and a support to place documents. It is usually used by people who are going to give a conference, who are giving a speech or who are going to carry out a master class. As a general rule, they usually have a type of shelf to place everything from a bottle of water to a computer.
- Stackable lectern , which has the peculiarity that it is structured based on modules. In this way, it can be adjusted in height. If it is used frequently it is because it can be fully customized and used, above all, in places with limited space.
A lectern can be used to keep documents close at hand.
An example
The members of an orchestra usually place the scores on a music stand. In this way, as the compositions that are part of a concert happen, they can consult the notes that they must play with their instruments .
If music stands did not exist, musicians would have to hold sheet music in their hands and would not be able to play their instruments.
Lectern in religion and politics
In the field of religion , lecterns are used by priests or spiritual leaders in the development of a liturgy. The sacred texts that are read in the celebration can be placed on the lectern.
It is also common for political leaders to use lecterns to support the speeches they give in public. Suppose that the president of a country visits a factory to announce that the State will invest two million pesos in its remodeling. To avoid the obligation to memorize her speech, the president has a printed copy that she places on the lectern. Thus the president reads the speech that is on the lectern during the event in question.