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Encyclopaedia Britannica 244 Years

March 28, 2012 by · Comments Off on Encyclopaedia Britannica 244 Years 

Encyclopaedia Britannica 244 Years, After 244 years, the Encyclopaedia Britannica will cease to publish its flagship line of reference books and will concentrate instead on its digital offerings. “We’d like to think our tradition is not to print, but to bring scholarly knowledge to the people,” said Jorge Cauz, the company’s president.

Britannica has printed the encyclopedia since 1768. The 2010 edition, which was published as a 32-volume set, was the last one in print; there are still 4,000 sets of that edition for sale. Some 2 million sets have been printed through the entire run of the encyclopedia.

Over the past few years, the print edition has accounted for less than 1% of the company’s revenue. “The market is not there,” Cauz said.

The online edition costs a lot less, with a basic subscription running at $17 per year or $1.99 per month, compared to $1,395 for the 32-volume print version .

The company has been offering online editions of its encyclopedia for 20 years, with more than 65% of its online sales coming from educational institutions; the online edition is updated constantly.

Door To Door Encyclopedia Salesmen

March 28, 2012 by · Comments Off on Door To Door Encyclopedia Salesmen 

Door To Door Encyclopedia Salesmen, Collectors, bookworms, and analog antique aficionados, act now: the 2010 edition of the legendary Encyclopaedia Britannica – weighing in at 129 pounds, and comprising 32 volumes – is officially the last of its kind.

The New York Times reports Chicago-based Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. will no longer manufacture a print edition of the iconic reference omnibus. Instead, the company plans to focus on its online and educational materials.

According to Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. president, Jorge Cauz, the move is a reflection of the times, although he admits it’s one tinged with nostalgia for many.

Possession of the weighty series was once seen as an admission ticket to the middle class; today, the World Wide Web has largely rendered the book version of Encylopaedia Britannica a paper-era dinosaur. While the last edition contained contributions from over 4000 authors, only 8,000 of 12,000 printed sets have actually been sold to date.  Perhaps news of the end of the offline era of the encyclopedia will spur sales.

Encyclopedia Britannica Going Out Of Print

March 28, 2012 by · Comments Off on Encyclopedia Britannica Going Out Of Print 

Encyclopedia Britannica Going Out Of Print, Long before the Internet, there was the Encyclopaedia Britannica. Anything Marian Kohan wanted to learn about the world — from A to Z — could be found among the thousands of pages in the Britannica multivolume set.

“I remember growing up and poring over those thin little pages,” said Kohan, an Erie School District librarian. “I’ll miss it.”

Earlier this month, Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., which has printed its encyclopedia for more than 240 years, announced the massive 2010 printed edition would be its last. Instead, the immense collection of facts will be available through paid online subscription and its other digital products.

Britannica’s complete shift to digital, however, isn’t really a loss for local libraries. Although places such as Blasco Library and Strong Vincent High School have print editions of the latest Britannica, patrons and students prefer more user-friendly encyclopedia sets and online sources.

“The Britannica is pretty in-depth,” said Ann Marie Schlindwein, adult services manager at Blasco Library, which has one set of the 2010 Encyclopaedia Britannica. “It’s more academic level.”

Encyclopaedia Britannica

March 28, 2012 by · Comments Off on Encyclopaedia Britannica 

Encyclopaedia Britannica, The man who helped found Wikipedia says the end of the printing of the Encyclopaedia Britannica signals a new beginning for reference materials online.

Jimmy Wales told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday in Nigeria that resources like the openly edited Wikipedia are the future as they are “accessible to us all the time, not in dusty books on the shelf — no matter how beautiful those might be.”

The book form of Encyclopaedia Britannica had been printed for more than 200 years, but it will stop being available when its current stock runs out.

The Chicago-based company that publishes the encyclopedia says it will continue to offer digital versions.Wales was in Nigeria to attend a seminar on youth marketing in Africa’s most populous nation.

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