The New Digs

Today our offices were moved into the new building ~ hooray! While its far from complete and there are workmen sawing slabs of slate for the stairs and gluing paneling in place, my office is done. The modular desk unit with its proud cherry wood finish gleams in the soft light filtering in through the floor to seven foot height window that opens out onto the main floor's reference collection - my window on the library world.


It took less than an hour to unpack my lone box of files and desk accessories, and I had barely finished when the IT guys appeared to hook up my *new* computer, monitor, speakers, and computerized phone. Wires ran everywhere. While they were testing things, my speakers made this weird noise I had been hearing, and had asked about before. "What's that noise?" I asked.

"Unshielded speakers," they replied. "Anytime someone in proximity gets a cell phone call, you will hear that."

"How can I get shielded speakers?"

"You have to ask for them."

"Who do I ask?"

The guy smiled. "Me."

"Oh. Can I please have some shielded speakers?"

"Yup." and off he went to get me some. Before I had time to thank him, they were installed and the IT guys were on to the next station to set up for someone else.

I pulled the monitor closer to my face after they left, rearranged things to fit my work style (phone should be on the right side since I am not left handed), and stepped back to view my handiwork. I gasped in horror. From the door all I could see were the dozens of wires running from the cutaway on the desktop to all the gear. It was ugly.

Just at that moment, one of the IT head honchos appear in my door to see how things were working. I mentioned the wire mess. He agreed and looked a bit closer. Turns out there was a well in the desktop that was much closer to where I had positioned the monitor, and he quickly rewired the whole station to keep the majority of the wires out of sight and under the desk.

He said that after things had settled, they would be back to Velcro the wires underneath into a better organization. After he left, I settled into finding the right slant for the keyboard tray, the right height for everything, the tilt of the chair adjusted, the back of the chair adjusted. Before even an hour had passed, another person from IT showed up, checking in again to see if I needed something.

Not unlike trying on a new coat. You have to wiggle around to make sure the fit is just right. Don't forget to button all the buttons!