I can read on the subway and I’m generally not the kind of person who minds background noise and distractions. In fact, I work much better when there’s music or something else in the background than when there’s silence. That’s another reason why I prefer working outside of a traditional library setting.

The publications I’ve worked for have all had offices, not big open spaces filled with cubicles. In one setting, there were pods–a few offices branching off of an open area. Would there be more collaboration if we didn’t have offices? How important is collaboration to the kinds of work we do?

When some of my news library colleagues learn that I have a real office with a real door, they feel envy. Sometimes, we’re called upon to handle sensitive or confidential research. It’s nice to have a space where someone can come in, close the door, and discuss confidential research without fear of being overheard. Some of my colleagues have to leave the news library to find a space like that.

Heh! As a former ink-stained wretch in one of those classic “Lou Grant” style newsrooms, I can say you just learn to tune out all the noise (how do people read on the subway?). But open newsrooms are absolutely great for collaboration – you just lean over and tap your podmate on the shoulder for some help or yell “Stop the presses, I’ve got a scoop!” (well, OK, nobody ever did that, but you get the idea). Sure, you have to balance that with the odd cases of night editors getting upset and throwing a chair in the general direction of the sports department, but I found myself missing that environment when I moved to a trade publication with high walls around all the cubes.