I place my seedlings as close as possible to the seedlings, trying not to touch them, but I'd rather have a couple tall seedlings touching the lights/standing between tubes than have seedlings 4+ inches away from the tubes. Florescent lights aren't very strong (when compared to our marvelous sun!), so in order to prevent leggy, spindly seedling, a plant grower has got to get them as close as possible to the lights. I've never had a problem with leaves even if they were up against the tubes for days.

Congrats on the excellent find! The last time I had a coup like that was almost two decades ago. That should be sufficient light as long as the seedlings are very close to the light fixtures and directly beneath. Just make sure to keep them properly watered. Too moist, and they'll dampen off (rot). Dry 'em out and they'll dessicate. The lamps put off some warmth, which dries the soil faster. When you put your finger to the soil you should be able to tell that there is some moisture, but it should not feel soggy. Also, when the seedlings first start growing and are tiny they're far more susceptible to drying out since they haven't developed much root yet, so I check the little ones at least twice a day and dribble a few drops of water at the seedling to make sure it doesn't expire. Once they've got a bit more root it isn't too critical.

Enjoy your new lights! Did you get a timer yet? They're inexpensive (10 bucks or so) and takes the headache out of trying remember to turn lights on and off.

-Kris