Office supply joy!

Right now I'm experiencing office supply happiness! I requested a second filing cabinet, one with two filing drawers. Why? Because I had one, yes, one filing drawer. Not only did this drawer have to hold any and all files, including confidential ones, it also had to hold any valuables because it was the only deep locking drawer I had. Our cubes are open, and while non-library staff aren't allowed back here, it's always a possibility that people wander back here and get lost in the cube maze. So my purse/bag had to go into the only deep drawer I had when I was away from my desk since it didn't fit in the shallow pencil drawer. Naturally this took away from my filing space as a result.

Because of this I had a whole mess of files stacked on my desk, in vertical organizers, in racks, in stacking trays, etc. Some of them are stuff I have to archive for at least a year. Some of the files are current projects or committees. Some are software or cataloging related documentation. Add that to the typical work related files of procedures and policies, reviews, etc. (and my natural pack-rat tendencies) and there just wasn't enough space in that single filing drawer for it all, even if I didn't have to use it to secure my valuables. My files, while well organized (cataloger strikes again!), were taking over my desk, taking away from valuable work space. This was not good, and it was only getting worse.

I assumed my request, which was not questioned (all you had to do was come look and you'd see why I requested the additional drawers), would take awhile. I figured it would be weeks, if not months!, before a second filing cabinet appeared. Mainly because Steelcase (who manufactured my cube-desk) isn't making the product line my desk is anymore (it's old), so they were going to have to order something that would fit under my desk. It had to go under my desk because my cube has only two walls. Visualize my cube as a quarter of a pie. Behind me is either sorting shelves, my boss's office, or open space, so I have no place to put a filing cabinet that wouldn't be in the way.

But I was wrong. In a good way. Apparently someone in the engineering library was getting rid of an extra portable filing cabinet (2 file drawers). So now it's mine. It's happily parked under my desk (it fits!). I even have a key for it!

Tomorrow I will begin the task of sorting and putting everything into the drawers. I've even ordered a box of hanging files in anticipation. It sounds like a good Friday afternoon activity, don't you think?

Sometimes it's the little things in life that bring the most joy.