Page:The museum, (Jackson, Marget Talbot, 1917).djvu/80

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THE MUSEUM

bership and interest of the public. Some scheme of overhead lighting must therefore be arranged. It will also be found useful to arrange a plug in the baseboard which can be used either for special lighting or for a portable vacuum cleaner. Where the museum is to be lighted at night each room should be provided with one bulb on a separate circuit for the use of the night watchman. The question of how the lights shall be turned on and off is a serious one. In the case of a lecture room it should be possible either for the lecturer himself or for the attendant in charge of the stereopticon to turn the lights on and off in the room. In the Director's offices also it will be necessary to provide a switch which can be operated in the room. In almost every other case, however, it will be found much more satisfactory to have the lights operated from a central switchboard. This will obviate the danger which would arise were some visitor suddenly to turn off the light in a gallery. Key switches may also be used to good effect. In the Director's offices, it is an excellent scheme to arrange for a floor plug in the middle of the floor to which may be attached desk lights, as a small amount of concentrated light is often necessary where the room is not dark enough to require the full amount of light. These floor plugs do not need to be used