WILKES-BARRE — It is phone book delivery time and bags bearing the latest edition of the Yellow Book have been turning up at mailboxes in Luzerne County.
But do they quickly go from the doorstep to recycle bins or the garbage?
Is there still the need for phone books?
Among college students at the Wilkes University campus the answer was a resounding no.
“It’s a waste of paper, in my mind,” said Wilkes student Andrew Niedig.
“I don’t think anyone probably has one. I think there’s probably one in the hall in the main common area but I don’t think anyone has one in their room,” said Wilkes student Matthew Ingram.
Now many people can just use a smart phone or computer to find the same information that’s in a phone book.
“I just go online. There’s online phone books that show everything that would be in there,” said Wilkes student Sarah Hankey.
But at the senior center in Plymouth, the answers about the need for phone books are, as you would expect, the complete opposite.
“I still depend on it, mostly,” said Beth Sims in Ashley.
“I just got mine a day ago and I like it. I use it, yes I do,” said Mike Mundy of Plymouth.
Mundy is like quite a few older folks; the phone book is really the only option.
In fact the phone book industry says 58 percent of Americans still let their fingers do the walking, and use the book.
“I do not have a smart phone, I have a cellphone, yes. I’ve had for 10 years, but not a smartphone, nor do I have a computer,” said Mundy.
“I go to the book. I guess I’m older fashioned that way,” Sims added.
The Yellow Book is still filled with ads. Advertisers are still paying money, believing enough people use the book to make it worthwhile.
“They still bring in the pages, yes, absolutely.”
Leonardo’s Pizzeria in Edwardsville has been advertising and putting coupons in the book for years but only does it now because the price has dropped significantly.
“That book was quite expensive when it first came out, with the new menu ads and so forth, but right now, the price still tells us to keep going with it,” said Nick Chirico of Leonardo’s Pizzeria.
If you don’t think you need the phone book anymore, the book itself tells you how you can opt out of getting it. You just log onto a website and add your address to the list.
And if you do get the book, there are many ways to recycle it. There are recycling events like those we’ve covered in the past in Lackawanna and Carbon Counties. Or in many communities, just put it in the recycle bin with the newspapers.
Click here to learn more about opting out of getting phone books.
For information on recycling phone books, click here.
