Sheet feeder and image forming apparatus incorporating same

A sheet feeder, comprising:

• an attracting and separating device disposed above a leading end portion of a sheet stack, and configured to attract and hold from the sheet stack an uppermost sheet on the uppermost position of the sheet stack using electrostatic force and separate the uppermost sheet from the sheet stack;
• a sheet loading device disposed below the attracting and separating device to carry the sheet stack loaded thereon, and including a first bottom plate configured to carry a trailing end portion of the sheet stack loaded thereon and a second bottom plate contiguous to and provided separately from the first bottom plate and configured to carry the leading end portion of the sheet stack loaded thereon;
• and
• a lifting device to lift and lower the sheet loading device, and including a first lifting device configured to lift and lower the first bottom plate and a second lifting device configured to lift and lower the second bottom plate to move the leading end portion of the sheet stack toward and away from the attracting and separating device,
• wherein the second bottom plate and the second lifting device are disposed on an upper surface of the first bottom plate at a position corresponding to the leading end portion of the sheet stack.