Are the Yellow Pages Dead?

News&Tech.com is reporting that a study done by Borrell Associates predicts the end of yellow page directories. Writing for News & Tech, columnist Marc Wilson reports "A panel of industry experts predicts that printed Yellow Page directories will be dead within five years." 

According to Wilson: "Fifty-four percent of the panelists believed printed Yellow Page directories will die within the next three to five years. Another 12 percent believed the books will die within one to two years, while 29 percent said they thought printed directories will die within 11 to 20 years. Only 2 percent believed the printed Yellow Page directories will last 20 years or more."

Of course, the demise of the Yellow Pages is not a new prediction. And it is no secret in the business community that revenues from yellow page publications have fallen dramatically in the past few years. Anyone with a mouse or keyboard could have reached the same conclusion. Yet, somehow, these ubiquitous volumes keep popping up on my doorstep. They're not just "Yellow Pages," anymore, but "Super Pages," and "Real" Yellow Pages. There is even an "eco-friendly" sized "Yellowbook." To be sure, these books seem smaller than they were in years past, when they were less "eco-friendly" I suppose. But they are clearly not dead ... at least, not yet.

I always toss last year's into the recycle bin and dutifully stash the current volumes in the cubby-hole that has become their nesting spot. I confess that I have even used one of them within the past year, and not as a door stop. I can't remember what I was searching for or what circumstances led me to forsake Google in that moment of eccentricity. Perhaps the power was out, or I was on a "buy local" binge. Or maybe it was just a  chance resuscitation of a dying habit that hadn't completely expired. 


Perhaps that is the way the Yellow Pages will die off. One day we will notice some dusty volumes in the cubby hole and it will suddenly dawn on us that we have not received an updated version in several years.  We may even toss the world's last Yellow Pages into the recycle bin ... unless the power is out and we are looking for an electrician.