Phone Books

Shortly after the phone was invented, along came the phone book. Making its debut in 1878, what started as a single sheet of paper has grown into one of the largest books printed. They contain everything from emergency phone numbers to city maps to interesting facts about your city – not to mention a way to find and compare local businesses.

These books are updated yearly, which is both good and bad. It keeps the information fresh and accurate, but it also means you probably have a pile of old telephone directories ready for disposal.