Is It Time to Scrap the Big Bulky Phone Book?

For some, the arrival of the cinder-block phone book on the front step means nothing more than figuring out how to get rid of it without feeling too guilty about dead trees. After all, who needs to rifle through thousands of inky pages to find a pet store or a mechanic? The Internet is here now, and online directories are quick and relatively guilt free. 

But for others, the phone book is the first stop for finding services about town. It's still an essential accessory to the drawer in the telephone table.

Either way, Berkeley residents should have a choice — or so says the city council. In next Tuesday's meeting, the Berkeley City Council will consider calling on Alameda County to adopt a policy that would fine phone book companies $125 if they deliver to residents who have opted out through CatalogChoice.org. The website allows residents to pick and choose the catalogs, directories and coupons they receive, and to stop unwanted mail. 

In San Francisco, only residents who opt in are supposed to receive phone books, making it the default to opt out. According to David Chiu, President of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, in addition to being a waste of environmental resources, at least 1.6 million phone book directories and yellow pages end up littering apartment lobbies and neighborhoods, creating neighborhood blight.

Phone book publishers, meanwhile, say that opt-out policies will cripple their $13 billion industry. They argue that the books are made from recycled paper, and are important assets for businesses. 

But are they still useful? What do you think?