Place, space, face, trace

Information Outlook, Sept, 2004 by Stephen Abram

I'll admit it. I like the title of this month's column because it rhymes! It also reflects some of the issues I've been struggling with over the past year. And, indeed, I think it reflects some of the issues we are dealing with in libraries and information services too.

I have had a lot of time to think about the issues of physical and virtual space in the past few months. For one thing, I took a new position as vice president of innovation at Sirsi Corporation. This is a global position and my colleagues on the executive team are spread in places around the world including the U.S., U.K., Australia, and Canada.

For another, I needed to decide how I was going to work virtually and in the real world with management and teams of librarians and developers around the world. I have been traveling out of my home town between two and three weeks every month of 2004. I am pretty well connected through my laptop and can access the web and my e-mail anywhere--by modem, broadband, or wirelessly. I can also be contacted through my digital phone--by voice, v-mail or e-mail. So, I had to ask myself, do I really need a physical space called an office? Can I truly operate only virtually? Can I operate from home occasionally and easily without having a negative impact on my home and family life?

Hmmmmm ...

Well, I have to tell you--working virtually as my only modality just doesn't work for me. It's not my primary mode but I still find a strong need for physical space. Why? Well the reasons are encapsulated in the title of this column.

Place

I discovered that I have a strong sense of place. By this, I mean I need to be rooted in order to achieve. I find it difficult to concentrate when I don't find my environment aligns with the task at hand. So writing reports, composing e-mails, and making calls seem to be improved for me by having the proper place to work. I can do all of this on planes, in hotel rooms, in airport lounges, and so on. For occasional use virtual "anywhere" access is a godsend. I can do it fine but I can think better when the place is designed for the task at hand.

Space

Space--workspace, family space, eating space, entertainment space. I find that for me personally these don't mix well. Indeed, televisions and PC-based work don't combine well for me--especially in close proximity to the refrigerator. I also find that my work requires an amazing range of simple and complex tools to be accomplished effectively. It was a discovery for me how frustrating work can be when the PC, printer, telephone, post office, envelopes, stamps, copier, stapler, letter opener, tape, and scissors--among other things--were not conveniently located at my fingertips when I needed them. Assembling a workspace that "worked" for me while not interfering with other operations in my home was a challenge. Issues of comfort and productivity quickly rose to the forefront.

Face

Finding me and finding me in person have become two different things. My cell phone works worldwide most of the time, although as I write this column in Johannesburg I am disconnected from my cell despite being assured that it would work here! My voicemail works on the cell and at home. I use instant messenger quite often with my primary contacts. My family has been conscripted to take messages--with mixed results from the teens.

Still, there is a huge difference in the quality and effectiveness of conversations that are in person or virtual. Again, I knew this intuitively, but the balance changed when my conversation shifted from 80 percent in person to 80 percent virtually. I became more than nostalgic for real in-person contact. I started to think more explicitly about when face to face was necessary versus phone calls, e-mail, and instant messaging. I find this issue intellectually stimulating as I develop a better virtual persona.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Trace

Where am I? Have I left a trace somewhere? Can people trace me to send me things?

I was surprised how oddly difficult it became to receive mail, parcels, and courier deliveries. Some things just don't deliver well without hard copies, or their online delivery creates additional problems. Try printing color cost-effectively on the road!

One neglects to remember the infrastructure needed to support an employee in his or her work. It all becomes clearer when you're a one-person office. I learned that if it has to be, it has to be me. I am learning new lessons in independence and tracing resources and supporters who can get my technology working better and more effectively or can parcel up a courier to actually arrive on time.

I have also learned a few things about myself. First, I once considered myself a very independent person. I now realize that this was accomplished with an almost invisible and largely misunderstood support system. Alone, I have to make this support network more explicit and tend to its care and feeding. Second, all of this technology doesn't happen by itself. We know that, but such things as printer repairs, software installations, backups, and the like are handled quite differently when you're your own office.