<p>With the publishers of Encyclopaedia Britannica deciding to stop publication of its printed version, yet another hoary symbol of the Gutenberg civilisation is giving way to the assault of the cyber age. The venerable repositories of knowledge in all areas will not go out of existence but will continue their life as online products. It has 244 years of history, and after 15 editions in over two centuries it finds it difficult to compete with its rivals in the nimble and formless digital world. Anybody with an internet connection can open the world of Wikipedia with the click of a mouse. Britannica updates itself only once in 25 years and found that it could not cope with the demands of a world that changes unbelievably fast.<br /><br />What has happened to Britannica is perhaps what awaits libraries and the printed word as such in future. The feel of paper and the colour of ink may soon move into memory, just as inscriptions on stone tablets or the writing on palm leafs did at different periods in the march of history. Britannica of course had a special place in the story of civilisation as such. <br /><br />Its life coincided with the most explosive period in the history of knowledge and it faithfully and authoritatively documented everything. The huge leather-bound tomes that were on display in showy drawing rooms or on the proud shelves of libraries will now be relics of a past frozen in time. There was some elitism associated with the encyclopaedia but its role as the best compendium of knowledge has never been questioned.<br /><br />There will be some regret over the passing of such a cultural icon. But the idea represented by it - easy access to all data - has only become stronger. We live in the information age where the floodgates of data, opinions and images are wide open. But there is no assurance of correctness and authority as thousands of contributors supply information on online forums. Britannica insisted that every word and idea in it was correct, as known at the time of writing. That rigour and respect for truth would make online knowledge compilations more useful and reliable. Britannica now has the chance to marry immediacy and flexibility with old standards in its online life. The death of the volumes will certainly be mourned as they move to collectors’ vaults.</p>
<p>With the publishers of Encyclopaedia Britannica deciding to stop publication of its printed version, yet another hoary symbol of the Gutenberg civilisation is giving way to the assault of the cyber age. The venerable repositories of knowledge in all areas will not go out of existence but will continue their life as online products. It has 244 years of history, and after 15 editions in over two centuries it finds it difficult to compete with its rivals in the nimble and formless digital world. Anybody with an internet connection can open the world of Wikipedia with the click of a mouse. Britannica updates itself only once in 25 years and found that it could not cope with the demands of a world that changes unbelievably fast.<br /><br />What has happened to Britannica is perhaps what awaits libraries and the printed word as such in future. The feel of paper and the colour of ink may soon move into memory, just as inscriptions on stone tablets or the writing on palm leafs did at different periods in the march of history. Britannica of course had a special place in the story of civilisation as such. <br /><br />Its life coincided with the most explosive period in the history of knowledge and it faithfully and authoritatively documented everything. The huge leather-bound tomes that were on display in showy drawing rooms or on the proud shelves of libraries will now be relics of a past frozen in time. There was some elitism associated with the encyclopaedia but its role as the best compendium of knowledge has never been questioned.<br /><br />There will be some regret over the passing of such a cultural icon. But the idea represented by it - easy access to all data - has only become stronger. We live in the information age where the floodgates of data, opinions and images are wide open. But there is no assurance of correctness and authority as thousands of contributors supply information on online forums. Britannica insisted that every word and idea in it was correct, as known at the time of writing. That rigour and respect for truth would make online knowledge compilations more useful and reliable. Britannica now has the chance to marry immediacy and flexibility with old standards in its online life. The death of the volumes will certainly be mourned as they move to collectors’ vaults.</p>
