The Mission Library was actually my first choice when I was scouting for locations in Tucson, though I can now definitively say that it comes in second overall. No offense, you can't win all the time. This from a person who only ever won one medal at track and field day--third place, no less, and in the three-legged race. We can't all be winners or even 100% winners of third place! Only 50% winners of third place.
And sometimes we do so badly in school that we get shamed in front of our class by the principal and are barred from participating in track and field day at all. God, I miss Isely Alternative.
Anyway, this is a fine library, but most of the tables are sans electricity, so I am facing a wall and sharing the long table with a guy who keeps making wet, smacking sounds with his mouth and putting his hands in his lap why is he putting his hands in his lap. I am sure it is nothing, I can see his laptop screen and it seems like something innocuous like real estate, but who knows what gets people excited, right? There was even a show about it once, wasn't there? People who marry bridges and 1976 Camaros?
My favorite part of the Mission's space is the high, vaulted ceilings with crisscrossing beams of light. I can see it's outfitted with sound absorbing qualities, but alas that does not take care of wet smacking. My least favorite part of the library is that it definitely has that "open office" layout, where everything is sort of in the middle and even the library staff do not have a real desk (it's sort of a receptionist's desk out on the main floor). It looks like there are private offices, but they are closed up with the blinds drawn so I guess we won't know what's going on in there. There are also two lovely meeting rooms on one wall, but they also bend to that "open" theme and are all glass, so are more like aquariums where we get to watch whatever meetings are taking place. They are open at the top, as well, so all the sound from within spills out onto the main floor, thus rendering the meaning of the space completely useless.
Now that I no longer have to muzzle myself, let me share my feelings on open plan offices: They are complete and utter BULLSHIT. Every rationale corporate makes "get employees on board" is a baldfaced, unapologetic LIE. Open space is less productive because there is constant distraction...first because people are always flitting around your space, talking to each other, doors are opening and closing, etc. And second because there is no expectation of privacy or solitude. People can and will interrupt your flow all the live long day because it's the Wild Fucking West and the only way to stop it is by wearing headphones. I would recommend those big, honkin cans, too--not earbuds. Make it look like it is a production to remove them, like maybe you'll be injured in the process. Everyone knows it is easy to remove earbuds--don't let them win, solder those cans to your head.My favorite lie about open plan was that it inspires a "collaborative work environment." It's my favorite because I was rudely shushed during my first week in open plan by one of our new "neighbors." She didn't like open plan, either, it seems. And talking aloud, even quietly, really pissed her off. Me too, Mean Shushy Woman, me too. So, we took our conversation elsewhere, but it made me miss the days when the only people on our floor were our people, even if we were squished together like bitey puppies in a basket.
Anyway, don't let them lie to you. It saves space and money and that's all there is to it. It also saves the headache of who gets which office and why, which can be a frustrating endeavor when you have limited space and a growing company.
I like my new open plan best. It's called the United States of Eagle-Lovin, Mother-Truckin America, and I collaborate with myself quite effectively.
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