Intended Audience: Designers, architects, engineers, users, general public, environmentalists, utilities, Conservators, Museum Curators, Exhibition Designers.
Intended Interest Categories: Specifier (US), Affected (UA), Public Interest (UP), Academic, Research (GAR), Government, Regulatory (GGR), General SME (GSME), Organizational (OM).
Description: Effective exhibit and museum lighting, balancing exhibition presentation goals (enrich the visitor experience) with conservation techniques (intended to protect artifacts for appreciation by many generations to come.) The 2025 revision has new content on lighting controls, the design process, automated controls and safety, emergency requirements, assessing prior light exposure, preservation targets and risk management strategies (with examples), new tables on “just noticeable difference.
Chapters:
1.0 Introduction and Scope
2.0 The Museum Lighting Design Process
3.0 General Lighting Information
4.0 Luminaires, Light Sources, and Accessories
5.0 Lighting Control Systems
6.0 Economics, Maintenance, Sustainability
7.0 Museum Categories and Criteria for Lighting Design Success
8.0 Preservation of Light-Sensitive Materials
9.0 Typical Lighting Solutions for Museum Exhibitions
10.0 Daylighting the Museum Environment
Annex A – Illuminance Recommendations
Annex B – Key Color Terms, Concepts, and Phenomena
Annex C – Sensitivity of Museum Materials to Light and UV Energy
Annex D – Flow Chart for Managing Light-Sensitive Materials
Annex E – Light Measurement Tools and Techniques
Annex F – Lighting for Special Events in Museums and Art Galleries
Annex G – Fundamental Factors of Artifact Visibility
Annex H – Electric Light Source Considerations
Annex I – Museum Terms
Annex J – Examples of Performance-Based Risk Management
Annex K – Lighting Calculations
Annex L – Lighting Calculations
Citation Format:
Illuminating Engineering Society. ANSI/IES RP-30-25, Recommended Practice: Lighting Museums. New York: IES; 2025.
