Digital Encyclopaedia

Encyclopaedia Britannica Ends Print Edition

Encyclopaedia Britannica, the world’s most famous set of reference books, has decided to stop printing its 32-volume collection. The decision ends a 244-year history of the iconic printed edition. Instead, it will focus on its online version and try to fend off competition from other web-based encyclopaedias. The company has recently launched a digital encyclopaedia for iPads and other tablet devices. Officials said the end of the physical books had been foreseen for many years, although they played down the impact of Internet sites. Britannica president Jorge Cauz said: “This has nothing to do with Wikipedia or Google…This has to do with the fact that now Britannica sells its digital products to a large number of people.”