However, if I were in a situation where a clerical assistant was forced to share a room with a buzzing electrical box beside them, I’d be asking the principal to do an office swap with your clerical officer for a day, and see if they can concentrate with the noise/emmissions.

It’s still a major OH&S issue and perhaps permanently relocating personnel, laminators and phones from the vicinity of a new cabinet is going to be easier than moving the cabinet.

My library is tiny compared to most school libraries, but I can see several places I could move people out to, and create new alcoves if ever necessary. (In fact, our book covering table is in a corner the main library because the helpers needed room to swing a roll of plastic around without hitting a wall.)

As I said, it’s communication that is paramount. If communication is lacking, then there will always be problems that seem impossible to solve.