I have a copier/scanner/laser printer about three feet to my left.

My boss basically only edits things printed out.

Bill payers here print out invoices and make paper files.

I need to print out packets of outline notes for all my students for practically every class. So, depending on the semester, that can be up to 150 packets of 8 pages each, three times a week. Multiply that by however many professors and instructors there are, add in exams, and that copier is in pretty much constant use. We do have a second one, but it's slower and a lot more temperamental.

Wow hil, do the students want them on paper vs electronically?

Yeah, I figured you would have actual need of a working copier.

Remember Father Guido Sarducci’s 5 minute university? “Supply and demand” etc. I have a few bits and pieces from business school that stuck in my head like that. One of them is “you can cut out the middleman but you can’t cut out what the middleman does“ and a lot of people making decisions about where to make organizational cuts do not understand that principle (to the extent that any thought is put into those decisions, which certainly varies greatly)

I have the rest of the day off! And Monday morning! I originally planned to take all the Fridays in February off as a little birthday present to myself, but something came up that needed to be done on Fridays so I changed it to Friday afternoons and Monday mornings, and the last two Fridays I’ve ended up working later than planned. This morning my boss messaged me to take off early to make up for it and I actually am doing it. I think I will go back to bed because that is an extremely attractive option at the moment

Wow hil, do the students want them on paper vs electronically?

Absolutely. They hate it on days when there are copier issues and I can only post that stuff online.

I’m not sure if I feel like collaborating or focusing. Can anyone recommend somewhere that could accommodate both?

I laughed heartily.

I can’t remember the last time I copied anything. I do have a printer and can clear jams but printing is a last resort always. I snarl at people who try and give me paper when I request electronic. The grocery store prints out a receipt that says they emailed me. I don’t need that paper either!!

I might be buying a car tomorrow. We shall see.

None of my students have printers, which is annoying when they miss class -- for any paper I hand out in class, I also post the PDF online, but if they miss class, they expect to be able to ask me for the hard copy at the next class, and I don't always have those with me, since I teach all over campus and don't like to drag a ton of paper with me, so I usually just bring what I need for that day. There are a few who like to use a tablet and stylus and write digitally directly on the PDF, but that's usually just one or two students out of a classroom of 45 or so.

I do find it interesting the number of folks who don't have a printer at all.

Interesting. It is nice to scratch notes on things sometimes. I’m just rarely in a room with the people I’m working with.