The long-awaited 1996-97 campus directories have finally arrived.

Students, faculty and staff can purchase copies of the freshly released ISU Directory in the University Book Store.

The phone books were supposed to be available Oct. 1. A problem with the printing quality pushed that deadline back to Nov. 1. They got here this week.

The directories are printed in Conshokocken, Pa., by College Directory Publishing. The company agreed to reprint the directories at no cost when Iowa State officials said they were not happy with the first drafts.

John Kingland, director of telecommunications, said his office is just glad to have the books in hand.

“We regret the directory was late this year. We were as frustrated as everyone because it was late,” he said. “We’re pleased with the final product, the quality of the directory, and hope people enjoy it.”

The first copies had “some missing parts and some inaccurate indexing,” Kingland said.

The photo on the cover of the book is of the ISU water tower, which is 100 years old next year. Built in 1897, it was designed by Anson Marston, the first dean of the College of Engineering. It is the first steel water tower built west of the Mississippi.

The water tower appears in the “National Register of Historic Places.”

Students were just happy the directories are out.

“I am really glad that the phone books are out,” said Meghan O’Neill, a freshman in LAS. “At least now I know that the information I am getting is current and up to date.”