By the turn of the 21-st century, most libraries in the States had replaced their library card catalogues with computers and were auctioning off their old wooden bureaus. I got ahold of a bunch from the University of California at Berkeley and set about re-inventing them. Aside from the obvious improvement in cabinet design, I have given them the upperhand over their nemesis, the computer, by retrofitting their drawers for archival data storage. Mind, they work for music CDs too.
  Each catalogue table has four to five double-deep drawers that now hold DVDs and CDs. Now then, "Gold", archival quality DVDs (cost:$2) and CDs are rated to last 100 years. So a catalogue table has capacity to archivally store about 4 terrabites (4,000 GB) of data, using gold DVDs and soft sleeves. (Or if music is your thing, CDs in hard case fit 36 to a drawer). Computer hard-drives, on the other hand, may be able to store grand quantities of data too, but the best are only rated to last for five years. Think Tortoise and Hare: the wood library bureau is the toirtoise.
  Most of the wood for sides and tops for the tables were also harvested from U.C. In one, there are pieces of the oak frame from an old psychology department blackboard; another has walnut sections from old law library tables; others incorporate sections of tops, sides, and trestles---quartersawn oak---from old desks. All have original solid brass hardware.