Office life without a water cooler

The office environments where I worked previously were very social. I worked for several years in a converted house. My office had three other programmers in the same room. Later, I worked in a cubicle farm. Both places had an actual water cooler in a kitchenette area that was a gathering spot. I always seemed to know where my coworkers were and often exactly what they were working on.

If you had asked me a month ago, I might have said that was one of the most delightful aspects of working in an office environment.

The offices of the reference staff at Olin Library are lined along a hallway. With doors and walls that go to the ceiling, I'm barely aware of the activities of the two neighboring librarians, much less the one at the farthest end of the hall. There is no water cooler or anything else in our area that acts as a magnet for people.

Am I disappointed? No, it turns out that I'm not. Hours of my day don't slip away into gossip. My workplace is a place for just that--creative and productive work--not the high drama of conflicts and personal infatuations. Conversations are pleasant and informative and honest, without strong undercurrents or ulterior motives.

The only thing I miss about the water cooler is the water--and I'm managing with ice and tap water from the staff kitchen upstairs.     #

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