Are you refurbishing your school library? Aside from the books themselves, one of the most important things to consider is the lighting. Good task, ambient, and accent lighting are essential in creating the right environment for reading—a task many students need encouragement in. Before contacting your electrician, take a look at these 3 tips for lighting a school library.
Buy Desk and Wall Lamps for Close Reading
Overhead lighting is great for generally illuminating the library room, but they're not always sufficient for reading. This is even more true when it comes to students who aren't competent readers or students with visual impairments. Instead of relying on your luminaires to light students' books, install task lighting lamps in reading areas. Lamps can go on the centre of desks, or they can go on walls above seating. Good task lighting will make research easier for students, resulting in a more positive attitude to learning and better grades.
Use Dimmer Switches for AV and Computers
In many schools, the library doubles up as a computer suite and audiovisual centre to further facilitate research and learning. If this is the case in your library, having dimmable lights installed is a great way to ensure you always have the right level of lighting in your classroom. Glare and contrast can be a big problem when using a computer or watching a projection. Using dimmers allows teachers and students to reduce these problems when they're using the room primarily for media. As the school body can use the dimmer switch to adjust the lighting based on their needs, dimmable lights will also help to reduce your power consumption (and, in turn, your electrical bills).
Don't Forget to Light the Books
While readability is the most important thing to focus on when lighting a library, that doesn't mean you can neglect the process that comes before reading: finding books. Depending on the size of your library and the scope of your organisation system, finding the right book may be even more difficult for students than reading, but good lighting can make the process easier. One of the best ways to light books is to install lights on the bookcases themselves. This is especially useful for moving bookcases on wheels, as it means they can be positioned anywhere without reinstalling lights. Strip lights on the shelves and overhead lamps attached to the tops of the bookcases are two effective methods that will make finding books easier.
