The black bag was on the lower shelf of an office shelf. It occupied precious space Anna needed more space for storage of project binders, office supplies and reference materials.
As we worked together to identify materials that could be archived, I asked Anna to tell me about the black bag. She said she didn't know what was in the bag and that it was there when she came to the position three years ago.
As we investigated the numerous zippered pockets, we found a laptop computer. Through Anna's work administering a funding consortium, her technological needs are met by an Information Technology (IT) group. My recommendation was to return to the IT department the laptop along with other obsolete software and hardware we uncovered during our session. IT departments generally have equipment disposal policies. All items will need to be disposed of in an environmentally sound way.
As a result of moving the unneeded technology materials out of her small office, Anna found about 8 cubic feet of space she could now use in far better ways!
Do you have obsolete technology sitting on shelves in your work area?
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