GTD for Library Materials

Only a few more days until the banzai GTD session. I think I may have cracked the library-materials-too-big-for-a-file-folder nut. I think what I'm going to do is replicate the GTD categories on my library shelving. I'll have to maintain two separate streams, one for paper and one for books, but I think it will work out. I'm designating one of the shelves close to me as the Next Action shelf so all I have to do is reach around and pull something off.

Above that is my Tickler shelf. I've just printed out little flags that can stick off the shelf to indicate what part of the calendar we're in. If it works out I can do something more formal/permanent and maybe laminate them. Also, I elected to go by the week for the Materials Tickler instead of the day-by-day method that I have for my paper tickler file. I've already started using the Tickler shelf for appointments next week (associated paper also on shelf), but will wait to stage the Next Action shelf until I go through everything in the 2-day session in... 11 days!

The goal is to use a minimum of shelving for active GTD streams and totally rehaul the reference shelves for maximum information retrieval (since we're in the information management biz as librarians, we'd better get our own stuff straight, eh?).

The bigger goal is to get to "mind like water" in a place that is frequently beset by long, drawn-out consensual processes, document sediment (Strategic Plan from 1984 anyone?), frequent dead-end "waiting fors" and institutional time-warp (geologic pace, see #1 above). Aaaahhhh.