PurposeThis study aims to focus on the use of a survey questionnaire to inform a sustainable lighting design modification of an existing university library on the campus of a large land‐grant university in the Mid‐Western USA and also aims to suggest that a similar methodology may be useful in other facilities' design applications.Design/methodology/approachA 40‐item questionnaire was developed, which sought to evaluate the effect of the existing lighting design on end‐users' perceptions and opinions at the university library and to gather general opinions regarding sustainability from library end‐users. The self‐administered survey asked respondents how much they agreed or disagreed (on a five‐point, Likert‐type scale) with a set of statements about sustainability, their use of the library, and their understanding of and reaction to its existing illumination.FindingsA total of 183 respondents completed and returned questionnaires, the majority of whom indicated that they were undergraduate students enrolled at the university. The survey results indicate that the respondents were aware of sustainability and sustainable lighting; that they were dissatisfied with the library's existing lighting; and that they suggested that these issues be addressed by the university to reduce the library's environmental footprint.Research limitations/implicationsThe study fills a gap in the literature since it documents the application of citizen participation theory to solicit input from stakeholders in an institutional setting to influence facility design. However, the research is limited by the fact that the sample comprised mostly of female undergraduate students.Originality/valueEnd‐users influenced the design development of a university library's lighting renovation. This renovation is ultimately anticipated to lower the energy consumed to illuminate the facility, to increase the end‐users' perceptions of the facility's sustainability, to meet new university guidelines, and to reduce the facility's environmental impact. There are potential applications for the procedures described herein for other facilities in the integration of stakeholders in renovation projects.

PurposeFacilities management centers on the triad of people, process, and place, but the element of people is incomplete without recognition and consideration of the different generations that make up today's workforce and the differences between these groups. The purpose of this article is to suggest that facilities managers should take advantage of available current information on generational differences, in order to maximize their ability to manage people and knowledge.Design/methodology/approachThis article presents pertinent findings from a recent pilot study that surveyed 55 facilities management professionals from the mid‐Western USA, presents a brief overview of current knowledge relating to generational differences, and highlights the relevance of such knowledge to effective facilities management.FindingsAlmost one quarter of the respondents to the pilot study did not agree that knowledge of generational differences was important, while about half of the respondents only somewhat agreed that it was important. However, a survey of relevant literature suggests that successful management of generational differences in the workplace has the potential to improve the efficiency and viability of an enterprise, including facilitating knowledge management.Research limitations/implicationsThe current study is limited by its small sample size. Additional research is needed to further examine the value facilities managers place on generational knowledge and the relationship between facilities management and knowledge management.Originality/valueThe current paucity of information regarding the relationship between generational differences, facilities management, and knowledge management makes studies like this one relevant and valuable to facilities managers operating in a workplace with unprecedented generational diversity and an increasingly knowledge‐driven economy.

The project engaged students in sustainable lighting education and involved them in rural United States communities with high Native American populations. As part of a research grant, faculty developed a service learning curriculum. Students were taught how to measure and document existing lighting conditions, including ultraviolet light levels in state-owned historic homes filled with museum artifacts. Students worked under the supervision of museum staff. Students also provided sustainable lighting education to local consumers who were residents of lower income communities. Although study participants consistently ranked incandescent light highest in positive lighting attributes, compact fluorescent light ranked a close second. Student demonstrations of sustainable lighting were integral to consumer education and as a result of these student-led educational sessions more participants agreed to consider purchasing compact fluorescent lights instead of incandescent bulbs. Thousands of consumers beyond the study participants were reached through exposure at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency National Student Design Expo and a permanently-linked video documentary of the research process.