Today, the Associated Students telephone directory, minus 3,500 errors, is ready and available to students.

The directories were delayed because of an error that listed the same phone number for each of UCSB’s 3,500 faculty and staff members.

Matt McMillan, an A.S. off-campus representative, said, "Typically, the directories come out just before Thanksgiving."

To rectify the situation, A.S. paid 28 students to spend four days ripping out the faculty and staff listings. At $10 an hour, the 200 hours of labor cost $2,000.

Student government adviser Matthew Talmage, who supervised the ripping, said the costs were double what was expected. The money to pay for the ripping came out of the profits from advertising in the directory.

"The money for the directories comes from the company that prints them out. They sell advertising to local businesses. We have a profit-sharing arrangement with the printing company, splitting those revenues," he said. "We expected it to take 100 hours, so the extra $1,000 came out of the directory budget, which is the money made off of the directories. … It’s pretty self-sustaining."

A.S. Rep-at-Large Shaina Walter spent 21 hours helping to rip out the mistaken pages.

"I stayed in town finals week until Wednesday and helped with the ripping," she said. "Most of it was ripping at the binding, because it went faster if you actually tore it out than if you cut it out."

McMillan said the directories will be passed out over the course of the week.

"Distribution starts Tuesday. The directories are going to residence halls, fraternities and departments," he said. "They should all be distributed by Friday."