10
Friday, March 25,1977
University Daily Kansan
KUoperators asked for variety of information
Awned with cookbooks, almanacs, maps,
mileage charts and phonebooks, University
of Kansas telephone directory operators are
on call 24 hours a day, answering trivia
questions and giving out information about
events and the usual telephone numbers.
East of the loading dock behind Ellsworth Hall is an inconspicuous metal door that is always locked. Behind the door, a staff of 13 civil service employees, including two students working part time, answer from 10am to 5pm daily. To Emma Danfield, chief officer.
Although some of these calls should go to the University Information Center (864-3206), KU directory operators don't mind questions when they can, Barland said.
THE KU DIRECTORY operators have access to the dates of coming University events, including plays, movies, lectures and games.
The operators already have a schedule of next fall's football games.
"During the basketball finals last month the New York Times called four or five times to find out the scores," Barland said. In addition to game scores, Barland said the operators are asked for library hours, zip codes, area codes, mileage between locations, and phone numbers included in their stack of references are telephone books for Topeka, Kansas City, Hays, Washburn, Emporia and Pittsburgh and the KANSAS-N directory.
"We get a lot of calls for K-State, so we keep a directory for their campus" Barland said. "We also have a direct line to Manhattan in case we can't find a number."
Other student directories are from Hays, Wichita State and the KU Medical Center. KU office numbers are cross-filed, in case the caller has the number and not the room or the room but not the number, he can still find the information he needs.
WHEN STUDENTS change addresses or telephone numbers, they should immediately notify the KU telephone directory operator who give out student addresses
in the telephone center behind Ellsworth, mileage charts, dog-eared maps and a calendar of events.
"We use the cookbook quite a bit," Barland said. "Sometimes fellows that are cooking want to know how long to leave in a roast or something."
One operator said man called and asked her for Abraham Lincoln's number. When she told him that there wasn't a listing, he Don't you have an underground cable?"
The KU operators usually aren't bothered by prank calls, they said, although one confused foreign student apparently thought they were the maid service. An operator answered the phone and was asked if he was going to when are you going to change my sheets?"
Barland said she often received compliments on her the Friendship of her operators and on her sense of humor.
"We refer to ourselves as the first contact anyone makes with the University, and we try to be as pleasant and as helpful as we can," she said. "Employees are usually Southwestern Bell-trained, so this work is just a carry-over from their training.
"It is a good, cooperative group, which makes my job a lot easier. We don't have any that work very often—they have to work as long as everybody does enjoy their work here."
The KU telephone directory operators are "trying to help people on campus—that's our job," Mrs. Harland said. And from their position, they have the power that they're done—unseen but not forbidden.
$3.99
A fancy restaurant dinner,
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Offer thru Mar. 27
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Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Daily
Bike to sell? Advertise it in the Kansain. Call 864-4358.
Information operators Marie Dahl an operator for the University of Kansas telephone information service gives more than just telephone numbers
during a working day. The operators have given information on everything from dates of upcoming university events to helping them with travel planning.
Staff photo by MIKE CAMPBELL
Now comes Miller time.
©1976 The Miller Brewing Co., Milwaukee, Wis.
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