No More Britannica in Print
In January I blogged on the topic of print versus online publications, asking the question “Are Books Out of Fashion?”. Today, a follow-up post is due on the occasion of the oldest English encyclopedia, Britannica, going completely digital. This is a turning point, I believe, not just for the publishing industry, but for humankind at large as other such publishers are likely to follow.
Is it a question of literacy? Is it that people don’t read any more? Of course not. Students read and cite Britannica and other reference works all the time. They use the online version, though, not the hard copy. The death of print does not mean the end of publishing; it is simply a matter of medium. Publishers are realizing that the online versions are easier to maintain and more popular, delivering the databases in better quality. Nor is it a matter of competition from the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia, according to Jorge Cauze, Britannica President ("Encyclopedia Britannica Ends Print, Goes Digital").
Isn’t this kind of move also a triumph for the environment? Are we saving the trees at last? Definitely – and technology has advanced in such a way that the paper we are still using need not be recycled any more. A simpler, faster process for re-using paper has been invented in Cambridge: toner removal, rendering paper ready for re-use in no time. The new approach would not only save trees but also reduce emissions from the pulp and paper recycling industry ("Use a Laser, Save a Tree").
News for educators and environmentalists alike.
Posted by May Mikati on 18 March 2012, 12:40 AM
In January I blogged on the topic of print versus online publications, asking the question “Are Books Out of Fashion?”. Today, a follow-up post is due on the occasion of the oldest English encyclopedia, Britannica, going completely digital. This is a turning point, I believe, not just for the publishing industry, but for humankind at large as other such publishers are likely to follow.
Is it a question of literacy? Is it that people don’t read any more? Of course not. Students read and cite Britannica and other reference works all the time. They use the online version, though, not the hard copy. The death of print does not mean the end of publishing; it is simply a matter of medium. Publishers are realizing that the online versions are easier to maintain and more popular, delivering the databases in better quality. Nor is it a matter of competition from the free encyclopedia, Wikipedia, according to Jorge Cauze, Britannica President ("Encyclopedia Britannica Ends Print, Goes Digital").
Isn’t this kind of move also a triumph for the environment? Are we saving the trees at last? Definitely – and technology has advanced in such a way that the paper we are still using need not be recycled any more. A simpler, faster process for re-using paper has been invented in Cambridge: toner removal, rendering paper ready for re-use in no time. The new approach would not only save trees but also reduce emissions from the pulp and paper recycling industry ("Use a Laser, Save a Tree").
News for educators and environmentalists alike.
Posted by May Mikati on 18 March 2012, 12:40 AM
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