![]() There was a time when any self-respecting news library would have copies of Who's Who, the Dictionary of National Biography and Oxford English Dictionary on its shelves. Having said all that, there is part of me that will miss having hard copies of reference books on the shelf. Find the answer in Britannica and you can give it as a source (and keep the readers' editor happy). There isn't always time to do this though. The golden rule is use Wikipedia but always check the sources. In fact a few years ago a study suggested that there were more errors in Britannica.īut there's always that question of doubt. It's a brilliant resource and despite all the scare stories about material being made up, the chances are that much of it is accurate. Anyone who says they don't use it is probably lying. Of course, other reference sources are available and, yes, I'm a great admirer of Wikipedia. The key point is that we still value Britannica's content enough to continue paying for it, year after year. ![]() Once an online subscription has been bought, you should be able to keep the download for good.įorget about the print/digital debate, though. These days, if you don't make that annual payment, you're left with little more than memories. Certain facts may date, but at least it will be a reliable source for a few years. What happens if you don't renew your online subscription? Buy the full 32-volume print version and you've got them for life. There is, however, one issue that really bothers me. Facts can be copied and pasted in seconds. The advantages are obvious – several people, often on different continents, can access the content at the same time, it's easy to search, links take you on to further information without the need to find another volume, not to mention the constant flicking of pages. I've been using the online version for a number of years. To be honest, the news that Encyclopedia Britannica will stop publishing its 32-volume print edition after 244 years, and instead focus on its digital efforts, hardly came as a surprise to librarians – at least not this one. That is the last time the Guardian thought it worth investing in a new hard-copy edition of the series. But look a little closer and it becomes clear that this is the 15th edition, the one that was published in 1989.
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