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By Gina Mace
Special to the Beacon Journal
POSTED: 06:42 p.m. EDT, May 16, 2009
STOW:Tired seeing phone books littering its streets, Stow has adopted new rules that restrict how they can be distributed.
City Council this week voted to require that those who deliver the phone books notify the city at least 30 days in advance.
The new rules prohibit placing the phone books in the tree lawn or driveway apron.
Phone directories left outside must be placed on a paved area of the home or business.
Councilwoman Mary Bednar said phone books have been found in ditches.
One person delivering phone books simply threw them from a truck, said Councilwoman Janet D'Antonio.
''They have to have a pretty good aim to throw them from a truck and hit a walkway,'' she said.
The two councilwomen are working on legislation that would allow residents to opt out of receiving phone books.
Stow council members say they have fielded many complaints from residents upset about the delivery of phone books. Some residents have complained that they have received as many as three books in a single week.
Stephanie Hobbs, a spokeswoman for the Yellow Pages Association, said studies have shown that eight out of 10 people still use the Yellow Pages. The association is an advocacy and training group for those connected with the publication of yellow pages directories.
''Even people who are wired use them,'' Hobbs said. ''Many people use a computer in the office, Yellow Pages in the kitchen, and a Blackberry in the car.''
Over the past 18 months, some communities have tried to legislate the delivery of phone books, Hobbs said.
''What our industry is looking for is a happy medium,'' she said. ''We don't think legislation is necessary. But we don't want to deliver books to people who won't use them.''
Hobbs said the issue in the mid-1990s was making phone books more environmentally friendly. Publishers did that by switching to scrap lumber to make paper and using environmentally friendly ink and dyes.
''Now as we come forward, the issue is multiple delivery and the delivery process,'' she said. ''Over the past three years, we've been working with our members to set up guidelines and put together consumer choice options.''
Hobbs said companies are often alerted by consumers when there is a delivery problem.
Throwing the books into a ditch or on the tree lawn is not adequate delivery, Hobbs said.
''Companies pay well to have the books delivered,'' she said. ''That's not what the company is paying for.''
When the publishing companies are notified of improper delivery, ''in all likelihood they would ask the distributor to pick up the books and redeliver them.''
Hobbs said the Yellow Pages Association has a Web site where consumers can opt out of receiving all or some of the books delivered each year. The site is http://yellowpagesoptout.com.
The association noted that five publishing companies are listed as distributing phone books in Summit County.
''We understand very clearly that consumers want their information when they want it and in the format they choose,'' Hobbs said. ''We're trying to make sure we're doing the right thing.''
STOW:Tired seeing phone books littering its streets, Stow has adopted new rules that restrict how they can be distributed.
City Council this week voted to require that those who deliver the phone books notify the city at least 30 days in advance.
The new rules prohibit placing the phone books in the tree lawn or driveway apron.
Phone directories left outside must be placed on a paved area of the home or business.
Councilwoman Mary Bednar said phone books have been found in ditches.
One person delivering phone books simply threw them from a truck, said Councilwoman Janet D'Antonio.
''They have to have a pretty good aim to throw them from a truck and hit a walkway,'' she said.
The two councilwomen are working on legislation that would allow residents to opt out of receiving phone books.
Stow council members say they have fielded many complaints from residents upset about the delivery of phone books. Some residents have complained that they have received as many as three books in a single week.
Stephanie Hobbs, a spokeswoman for the Yellow Pages Association, said studies have shown that eight out of 10 people still use the Yellow Pages. The association is an advocacy and training group for those connected with the publication of yellow pages directories.
''Even people who are wired use them,'' Hobbs said. ''Many people use a computer in the office, Yellow Pages in the kitchen, and a Blackberry in the car.''
Over the past 18 months, some communities have tried to legislate the delivery of phone books, Hobbs said.
''What our industry is looking for is a happy medium,'' she said. ''We don't think legislation is necessary. But we don't want to deliver books to people who won't use them.''
Hobbs said the issue in the mid-1990s was making phone books more environmentally friendly. Publishers did that by switching to scrap lumber to make paper and using environmentally friendly ink and dyes.
''Now as we come forward, the issue is multiple delivery and the delivery process,'' she said. ''Over the past three years, we've been working with our members to set up guidelines and put together consumer choice options.''
Hobbs said companies are often alerted by consumers when there is a delivery problem.
Throwing the books into a ditch or on the tree lawn is not adequate delivery, Hobbs said.
''Companies pay well to have the books delivered,'' she said. ''That's not what the company is paying for.''
When the publishing companies are notified of improper delivery, ''in all likelihood they would ask the distributor to pick up the books and redeliver them.''
Hobbs said the Yellow Pages Association has a Web site where consumers can opt out of receiving all or some of the books delivered each year. The site is http://yellowpagesoptout.com.
The association noted that five publishing companies are listed as distributing phone books in Summit County.
''We understand very clearly that consumers want their information when they want it and in the format they choose,'' Hobbs said. ''We're trying to make sure we're doing the right thing.''
Comments
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Akron, OH
Posted 07:12 PM, 05/16/2009
I havent used a phone book in years
Stow, Oh
Posted 07:34 PM, 05/16/2009
There was one on my tree lawn this week. It had two nice plastic bags that I have already used while walking my dog. The phonebook went directly into my recycling bin.
rootstown, oh
Posted 12:09 AM, 05/17/2009
stow is one busy metropolis.
akron, oh
Posted 03:09 PM, 05/17/2009
Wow, this is news! Way to go ABJ and Stow City Council. What a waste of time!!!!
