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Ditch Starbucks and work at the library

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Re: Ditch Starbucks and work at the library

#31

Post by eavc »

Gormo wrote: post #16
Roritharr wrote: post #2

Well, actually i did work at the library, but i changed for one reason to my local coffeeplace: taking and making calls. Thats the one reason i've left the library. I tried a starbucks for working but he is right, the tables are not big enough etc, so i actually went to a local coffeeshop and talked to the owner about me liking to work at his place. I made a deal with him, i did all the quick-wins of online advertise…

I wonder if there's a market for a coffee shop that has small, private office spaces available, perhaps available for free or for an hourly rent. These might be the size of a typical restaurant booth (or a bit larger), but would be enclosed spaces that allow you to block out noise and distractions. It wouldn't even need to be a coffee shop; maybe something like a capsule hotel for workspaces.

At that point, you might as well find co-working space with decent coffee.

Re: Ditch Starbucks and work at the library

#33

Post by ConceptDog »

I'll echo the same as most other posters: Internet is the limiting factor.

I love working there. No distractions is a great way to shut out the world and focus. My local libraries limited internet access to an hour a day. If 3g was cheaper in Canada, I'd just man up and get a stick or tether to my cell, but I'd need a line of credit to make that happen.

Re: Ditch Starbucks and work at the library

#34

Post by ben1040 »

Best thing I've ever done. I work for a university and happen to live a few blocks away, so I will go to their library to work on my side projects. They close at 2AM and I've found a nice room there where undergrads don't seem to want to wander, so it's a perfect place to work.

It's quiet, and I've been conditioned from years of schooling that when I'm sitting at a table at the library, I ought to be working and not slacking. And, I can access journals, news archives, Safari/O'Reilly books, and all sorts of other useful resources while on the library wireless network.

I can still even get a cup of coffee at the coffee shop in the library for cheaper than Starbucks, and it comes right out of my paycheck.

Re: Ditch Starbucks and work at the library

#37

Post by waqf »

siculars wrote: post #7

++. I don't know why more people don't do this. The library is a great place to work - for free - and it comes with built in offline distractions for when you need to step away from a problem. I used to spend a lot of time at Columbia University's Butler library. Libraries are also a great place to get internet access. I spent a lot of time in local libraries while traveling around New Zealand.

The main branch of the public library in Christchurch explicitly offers free wifi even when it's closed ... that's hard to beat (if you can find anywhere to sit).

Re: Ditch Starbucks and work at the library

#38

Post by jeromec »

tptacek wrote: post #21
Gormo wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if there's a market for a coffee shop that has small, private office spaces available, perhaps available for free or for an hourly rent. These might be the size of a typical restaurant booth (or a bit larger), but would be enclosed spaces that allow you to block out noise and distractions. It wouldn't even need to be a coffee shop; maybe something like a capsule hotel for workspaces.

No. A bunch of people tried that over the last couple years in Chicago; all of them went bust. There are too many viable alternatives to "rental cubby" to charge enough. And coffee shops of all forms are almost sure-fire money losers.

And coffee shops of all forms are almost sure-fire money losers.

I'd never heard that before. Is Starbucks an exception? Does their volume make the difference?

Re: Ditch Starbucks and work at the library

#39

Post by SwellJoe »

I have a 3G/4G modem with unlimited use (from Clear), and no longer consider WiFi availability as an important part of the decision making process of where to work. I'm currently camped in the desert in Southern California, 35 miles from the nearest "big" city (Brawley, which is not very big, but it does have a Walmart).

But, I never have been able to work in coffee shops. I can't think long enough with all the distractions to do anything of real value. Email, sure. Browsing reddit, no problem. But, actual work? No way. Library would probably work, though I've only tried it a few times when I was in Canada and didn't have 3G; it didn't work very well, as the Internet was always too slow or broken.

Re: Ditch Starbucks and work at the library

#40

Post by RickHull »

alexophile wrote: post #6

In my (biased, but well-founded) experience, it comes down to a question of whether I'd rather be distracted by a cute girl or an old man getting reprimanded for looking at dirty pictures. [bg: I really like libraries - worked at one in the suburbs in high school and have since moved to the city, which exaggerated the weird bits] One thing that's worth noting: if you're on a college campus, a great place to find some…

> In my (biased, but well-founded) experience, it comes down to a question of whether I'd rather be distracted by a cute girl or an old man getting reprimanded for looking at dirty pictures.

Ha! Reminds me of my Brooklyn Public Library experience. The building looks fantastic on the outside, but on the inside it is a dreary, institutional wasteland. I had to pick my inspiration up off the floor when I walked in. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Brooklyn_Public_Library_by...

After I located the one room with outlets, I crammed my way onto the folding table and connected to the flaky wifi, which needs to be reauthorized every hour. While answering emails, I could not help but notice the hardcore anime porn viewing session at the bank of workstations across from the table. I doubt I'll be back.

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