The new Iowa State directories have been much anticipated.

Sure, the old directories work OK, if you don’t mind the fact that a good chunk of the phone numbers are out of date.

But there’s been a delay — a pretty big one. Officials now say the directories won’t be available until the first week in November. They were due out the first week of this month.

The quality of this year’s printed directories wasn’t up to snuff. They’re being reprinted and are expected to be about a month behind schedule.

College Directory Publishing Inc. is the publisher of the ISU Directory. The company sub-contracts its printing. The first of the directories was printed and inspected, but “fault” was found with the printing quality.

John Kingland, director of telecommunications, said the delay isn’t anything serious.

“They’ve been very good to meet the quality of the directories,” he said. Telecommunications officials weren’t specific about the flaws.

One thing is for sure: The old directories aren’t very useful.

Liz Christoffer, a freshman in fashion merchandise, said it’s pointless to use an old directory. “It would be easier to get freshman numbers if the directories came out, because that’s the only time that I really used it.”

Until the directories are made available to students — until they hit the shelves at the University Book Store — students say they’ll have to rely on the campus information line for phone numbers.

One operator typically mans the line after 5 p.m. once the directories are published in the fall. But until that happens, there will continue to be two operators giving out phone numbers.