Ames telephone directory residence listings page. 

These early 1990s Ames telephone directory pages are not flashy, but they are a surprisingly rich social document. Before search bars and map pins, the phone book was local infrastructure. It made the community findable, and its design choices shaped who felt visible, reputable, and easy to reach. The residence listings rely on typographic discipline: small type, narrow columns, minimal whitespace, and a predictable rhythm of name, address, and number. That consistency is not just a style choice; it is a legibility strategy for a community that depended on quick, accurate lookups in kitchens, offices, and dorm rooms.