Background
In 2012, ITS and the Communications and Marketing (C&M) unit decided to end production of a
printed UNB phonebook. Key factors contributing to this decision included:
- End‐of‐life of the software system used to produce the printable file
- Significant personnel time required for acquiring and processing phonebook updates
- Emergence of alternative directory tools, including the Global contacts list in Exchange;
the VOIP directory on the Fredericton campus; the web‐based UNB Directory service.
Some faculty and staff members have expressed disappointment over the lack of a printed
directory.
Print directory production challenges
Producing a reliable, accurate, and up‐to‐date directory has never been a trivial matter, and as
technology changes, approaches to providing the university community with readily accessible
directory information, including departmental and individual phone numbers, email addresses,
fax numbers, and physical addresses must also change. The last fully updated printed UNB
phonebook was published in the Fall of 2012, when it had become clear the software code used
to generate the printable file was no longer sustainable given changes to underlying
technologies including database architecture; coding languages, practices, and standards; and
print setup requirements. Efforts were made to resuscitate the failing system, but were
unsuccessful. Finally, due to continuing reductions in staffing across the university, neither ITS
nor C&M could justify the staff time required to edit the directory. In the meantime, new ways
of delivering directory information were being developed.
Online directory tools and resources come of age
With the introduction of connectED, the suite of productivity tools including Microsoft’s
Exchange email and calendaring, ITS launched a new directory system used to authenticate
faculty, staff, and student users to UNB IT systems. This directory is hooked into the Datatel
system, and contains names, email addresses, position titles, office numbers, etc.; maintenance
is largely automated. This directory populates the Global contact list in Exchange, and is the
primary source of information for the VOIP directory system. At the same time a new, webbased
faculty and staff directory was introduced; access was restricted to community members
only, but this has since been changed to make the UNB Directory more open—no login is
required. This tool can be searched, or browsed alphabetically by department or individual
name, and is campus‐specific. The web address is
https://phonebook.unb.ca/listings.
Still want a print directory?
ITS has a project underway to develop a printable version of the UNB Directory, including lists
of departments and individual faculty and staff members. A new way has to be found to collate
and format individual entries however, so an availability date is not yet known. ITS will let you
know when the directory is ready to print.
March 18, 2014, Terry Nikkel, AVP, ITS
