This study aims to investigate the impact of lighting strategies on user satisfaction in academic libraries, examining the role of professional lighting designers versus non-specialised approaches. It evaluates natural and artificial lighting arrangements to assess how environmental features influence users’ perceptions of brightness, visual comfort and task performance. This study also explores lighting preferences across different space types – learning, creative, collaborative and event spaces – to provide context-specific insights. The findings aim to inform evidence-based design practices for creating functional, adaptable and visually comfortable library environments tailored to different spatial functions.
Field studies, illuminance measurements, structured questionnaires and semi-structured interviews were conducted across four academic libraries in Thailand – two designed by professional lighting designers and two without specialised input. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to measure lighting performance, user satisfaction and perceptions of brightness and spatial clarity. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA, followed by post-hoc Tukey honestly significant difference tests, analysed differences across the four library cases, while thematic analysis of interview data explored lighting principles and design strategies.
Surprisingly, libraries without specialised lighting designs showed higher satisfaction levels due to uniform brightness, effective integration of natural light and adaptable layouts optimised for flexibility. Distinct lighting needs emerged across different space types: learning spaces benefitted from uniform lighting and reflective surfaces; creative spaces required adaptable lighting for task versatility; collaborative spaces thrived on warm tones for an inviting atmosphere; and event spaces highlighted the importance of dynamic lighting controls. In contrast, libraries with professional designs, despite enhanced architectural alignment, exhibited lower satisfaction in areas with limited daylight access and task-focused lighting configurations. These findings underscore the importance of balancing lighting uniformity, reflective surfaces and spatial configurations to meet user expectations and support visual comfort.
This study focuses on four case studies within a specific cultural and geographic context, limiting generalisability. Future research should expand to other library types and regions to validate findings. Additional studies could explore long-term satisfaction trends and the integration of smart lighting technologies for adaptive environments. Insights from lighting designers revealed gaps between design intent and user experience, suggesting the importance of iterative, feedback-informed approaches in design development.
This research challenges the assumption that professional lighting design inherently ensures higher satisfaction. It demonstrates how environmental factors, material reflectance and natural light integration can achieve comparable or superior results, offering practical insights for tailoring lighting strategies to diverse spatial functions in academic libraries. Findings also offer broader implications for other workplace environments by emphasising simplicity, flexibility and context-aware lighting solutions over technological complexity.
