The Encyclopedia Britannica will no longer be printed. The last edition published was in 2010 of which 4000 copies remain to be sold. They retail for $1400 per set.
As a kid Encyclopedia Britannica was my favorite encyclopedia because it was the most comprehensive and least watered down compared to all others. But ever since Wikipedia was born (and to some extent Google), the encyclopedia has been losing its share of the market. $1400 is not pocket change and as an adult knowledge worker, the ability to contribute to Wikipedia and to keep it current provides some measure of pleasure that a printed encyclopedia could not possibly provide. Though I still think there is a market for privately published encyclopedias: they are able to maintain a more consistent language suitable for children and young adults than Wikipedia.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Encyclopedia Britannica: last printing
The Encyclopedia Britannica will no longer be printed. The last edition published was in 2010 of which 4000 copies remain to be sold. They retail for $1400 per set.
As a kid Encyclopedia Britannica was my favorite encyclopedia because it was the most comprehensive and least watered down compared to all others. But ever since Wikipedia was born (and to some extent Google), the encyclopedia has been losing its share of the market. $1400 is not pocket change and as an adult knowledge worker, the ability to contribute to Wikipedia and to keep it current provides some measure of pleasure that a printed encyclopedia could not possibly provide. Though I still think there is a market for privately published encyclopedias: they are able to maintain a more consistent language suitable for children and young adults than Wikipedia.
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Sad. It was my favorite encyclopedia as well. The end of an era!
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