Library : Lighting Design: Reference + Research

Digital Resources

Selected Lighting Ebooks

Designing with Light by Michael Gillette; Michael McNamara
ISBN: 9780367000691

Publication Date: 2019

The new 7th edition is fully updated to include current information on the technology of stage lighting: lighting fixtures, lamps, cabling, dimmers, control boards, as well as electrical theory. Readers will learn how designed light is used to enhance the audience's understanding and enjoyment of a production. The book includes specific information on drafting the light plot, explores the challenges of designing for different stage configurations, and provides examples of lighting designs for dramas, musicals, and dance. It also features comments and thoughts from active designers from both mainstream theatrical productions and related industries.
Contemporary Performance Lighting: Experience, Creativity and Meaning by Katherine Graham
ISBN: 9781350195196

Publication Date: 2023

This is the first major collection of critical responses to performance lighting and includes contributions from award-winning lighting designers, researchers and artists. Showcasing recent examples of work - with case studies of lighting practices in Britain, Europe, the US and China - combined with theoretical and analytical approaches to practice, this will enrich your understanding of the role and potential of light in performance and related creative practices.
Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician and Technician by Richard Cadena
ISBN: 9780415714839

Publication Date: 2014

Covers the fundamentals of electricity, power distribution, and electrical safety, and also explains the latest developments in technology for the live entertainment professional and aspiring professional.
The Assistant Lighting Designer's Toolkit by Anne E. McMills
ISBN: 9780415711210

Publication Date: 2021

Covers insider-secrets used to succeed as a professional assistant lighting designer (ALD) - whether choosing assisting as a career or while transitioning to another. This book outlines, step-by-step, the challenges the ALD faces during every phase of production.
Automated Lighting by Richard Cadena
ISBN: 9781317531111

Publication Date: 2017

Automated Lighting continues to be the most trusted text for working and aspiring lighting professionals. Now in its third edition, it has been fully updated to reflect the vast changes in stage and studio luminairies--including LEDs, switch-mode power supplies, optics, networking, Ethernet-based protocols like Art-Net and sACN, wireless DMX, and much more.
Stage Lighting by Richard E. Dunham
ISBN: 9781315562575

Publication Date: 2018

Provides an in-depth reference to a number of specialty areas of lighting design, from traditional applications such as drama, dance, and designing for different venues, to more advanced applications such as concert, corporate, film and video, virtual, architectural/landscape, and other forms of entertainment lighting. Each chapter gives the essential background, design practices, and equipment details for each specialization, so readers can make informed decisions and ask informed questions when encountering each field.

Lighting Databases + Web Resources

Theatrical Lighting Database - NYPL
Contains actual plots, focus charts, and cue sheets from four landmark productions digitized from the collections of the New York Public Library.

Physical Materials in the Library

Searching the Library Collections

Materials in the library are organized by subject. Browsing the shelves of the library in-person can help you discover new work, materials, inspiration, and connections. Listed below are general call number ranges for lighting and theatre at UNCSA Library:

PN 2085-2091 - Theatre > Stage and Accessories
QC350-467 - Optics, Light
TH7700-7975 - Illumination, Lighting
TK4125-4399 - Electric Lighting
TK7800-8360 - Electronics

Additional non-circulating physical resources can be found under the "Production Design" sign in our second floor reference collection.

You can search our digital and in-library collections simultaneously by title, author, subject, or keyword via LibrarySearch. Click Advanced Search for additional search criteria (like material type, language, year, etc.). Each book record in our online catalog contains Library of Congress Subject Headings, which can help you locate books on a similar topic. Click on the subject heading in the online catalog to go to a list of books that share that subject heading (example: Stage lighting).

Selected Print Books

Stage Lighting: The Fundamentals by Richard Dunham
Call Number: PN2091.E4 D87 2019 - Stacks (3rd Floor)

ISBN: 1138672173

Publication Date: 2019

Begins with an examination of the nature of light, perception, and color, then leads into a conversation of stage lighting equipment and technicians. Lamps, luminaries, controls/dimming, and electricity form the basis of these chapters. The book also provides a detailed explanation and overview of the lighting design process for the theatre and several other traditional forms of entertainment.
The Assistant Lighting Designer's Toolkit by Anne E. McMills
Call Number: PN2091.E4 M385 2017 - Stacks (3rd Floor)

ISBN: 9780415711210

Publication Date: 2017

Covers insider-secrets used to succeed as a professional assistant lighting designer (ALD) - whether choosing assisting as a career or while transitioning to another. This book outlines, step-by-step, the challenges the ALD faces during every phase of production.
Color and Light by Clifton Taylor
Call Number: QC496.8 .T39 2019 - Stacks (3rd Floor)

ISBN: 9781935247197

Publication Date: 2019

Color & Light is an essential practical guide to how color works in light. Written by UNCSA faculty Clifton Taylor, this book discusses how to see color, how to construct effective lighting palettes, and how to make use of both color filters and color-mixing LED fixtures to create compositions that work well with scenery and costumes to tell compelling stories.
A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting by Steven Louis Shelley
Call Number: PN2091.E4 S52 2009

ISBN: 9780415812009

Publication Date: 2009

Combining theory and application, A Practical Guide to Stage Lighting provides a comprehensive analysis of lighting systems along with examples and illustrations of the technical tools and methods used in the industry.