 | Gone are the days of dark and ominous libraries, as portrayed in the Harry Potter movies or the classic opening scene of Ghostbusters. |
Today’s library is one of vibrant colors, translucent panels and natural daylight flooding the space. In most new construction, this light airy feeling is accomplished by providing windows and skylights, and can help in the effort to achieve LEED® Certification for the building. Positioning the stacks methodically to allow the most natural light to flow through the space and using translucent end panels will make a huge difference in creating a brighter interior environment.
However, during reconstruction or remodeling projects it can be harder to achieve this abundance of light when there are rows and rows of books, dimly lit aisle ways, and perhaps less windows present than in a newly constructed building.
A great way to add light to these spaces is to integrate fixture right into the shelving, and though this is not natural day-lighting it can still contribute to sustainable design in many ways.
 | At Gateway Community College, Spacesaver shelving units were outfitted with integrated lighting triggered by motion sensors, which not only helped brighten the aisles but will also conserve energy in the spirit of sustainable design. |
Integrated lighting does not stop with libraries. In spaces where storage is the main function of the space it can be expensive just to keep the facility running.
 | At Mercy Toledo Health System, a high-density mobile storage system for active records was equipped with automatic overhead aisle lighting that illuminates only the occupied aisle and turns lights off automatically after a predetermined period of inactivity to further reduce energy consumption. Overall, the health system experienced a 40% reduction in operating costs. |
And if saving energy (and money) is your main objective Spacesaver lighting fixtures can also be retrofitted with LED T8 Florescent light fixtures. LED tubes consume less energy, last longer, don’t contain harmful aluminums and generate lower amounts of heat! The LED tube can work with existing magnetic and electronic ballasts already in place, so it’s basically a plug-in installation. Not only can this one small retrofit save you money, it can save your staff valuable time changing bulbs throughout the year (ultimately saving the company money on man hours) and help contribute to your corporation’s green goals.
Originally Posted by Julie Weber, Spacesaver.com
