7: MISCELLANEOUS APHORISMS

Task lighting and downlighting are not totally evil, but they come close enough for all practical purposes.
No matter how bright you make it, good nightclub lighting is never good library lighting.
Creating excitement with light in a library is like creating excitement with steps in a nursing home.
Shadows are for German noir cinema, not for libraries.
Skylights cause impossible glare, but they make up for it by leaking.
Computer monitors inset in counter or table tops introduce terrible problems with reflected glare, but it's entertaining to watch people with bifocals attempt to use them.
Small light sources are attractive to some designers because they provide "sparkle." You will come to hate sparkle.
John's last architects called him "No Can Lights Moorman." It's a nickname any librarian can carry with honor.
Perf screens on the undersides of uplights introduce an element of downlight, which designers generally like better than librarians do. Perf screens also show every dead bug.
Brand new lighting technology is for people with more money than you have.
Always show your plans to the people who will have to change the lamps.
Some designers will tell you that 100 percent uplighting is a bad idea, but they're wrong.

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