The Encyclopædia Britannica has been around a long
time. First published in Edinburgh,
Scotland a few years before the American Revolution, it is the oldest English
language general encyclopedia still in print.
A fixture in libraries and, for those so fortunate, private homes for
generations, a sight of its richly bound volumes standing in stately array on
bookshelves communicated a sense of erudition, of almost comprehensive
knowledge -- whether or not they were ever touched, save for the occasional
dusting. But touched they often were,
particularly in libraries, as students by the millions used the encyclopedia to
help them write their “reports.” Librarians,
for that matter, became used to the regular, annual visits of the Britannica
sales representative who dropped by to inform the conscientious librarian of
new features and revised, updated content – manifestly suitable for library
patrons anxious for the latest and best.
Then, slowly at first, those cordial visits became less frequent,
more often replaced by a phone call, or possibly a postcard. After awhile even the phone stopped
ringing. For many libraries, including
our own, where the time-honored, indispensible Encyclopædia Britannica was
concerned, an eerie silence, a strangely becalmed feeling, reigned.
Jump to July, 2009.
Now, thanks to the efforts of the sagacious Minnesota librarians
involved in choosing (and committing state funds to pay for) resources for the Electronic
Library for Minnesota (ELM), Britannica is back, this time with a digital aura. Now, Encyclopædia Britannica Online: Academic
Edition is available to libraries throughout the state, including our own. It is the traditional Britannica repackaged
for the digital age, including video and audio content imbedded in articles,
links to websites, headlines from the NYT and BBC, side-by-side country
comparisons, “this day in history” and “biography of the day” features and
more. At this point you may be thinking,
what will be the fate of the old print volumes in the Reading Room once
students have seen this new online version?
The good news is they will still be there, their authoritative content
at the ready for those who may prefer to get their information from staunch columns of
text on wispy paper. But even if these
volumes receive only barest use, they will still look great on the shelf. We just have to remember to keep them
dusted. We hope you enjoy the old/new
Encyclopædia Britannica.
I actually have Encyclopædia Britannica and i am glad to know the new edition. Thanks!
Posted by: Small Business Loans | September 10, 2009 at 07:54 PM
I love my encyclopedia Britannica because it helps me to learn something new and i find this new edition really interesting.
Posted by: Gold | September 20, 2009 at 08:27 AM
This is something i really looking for online. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
Posted by: Seo Vegas | September 21, 2009 at 07:37 PM
I agree with this. I hope to see what's inside the new edition of Encyclopædia Britannica. Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: buy backlinks | September 28, 2009 at 10:25 AM
Finally, it is available to all libraries in different states. Great news!
Posted by: Portable Tap Dance Floors | October 12, 2009 at 08:12 AM
Britannica was one of key the reason of my succesfull diplom. I always recommend it to everyone
Posted by: ortlieb | October 18, 2009 at 08:20 AM
I am interested to see this new Encyclopædia Britannica edition. Thanks for letting me know.
Posted by: Portable Tap Dance Mat | October 23, 2009 at 05:13 AM
i agree with your words
Posted by: Florida Real Estate | October 30, 2009 at 09:57 AM