Encyclopedia Britannica (2024)

FAQs

Does the Encyclopedia Britannica still exist? ›

The 2010 version of the 15th edition, which spans 32 volumes and 32,640 pages, was the last printed edition. Since 2016, it has been published exclusively as an online encyclopaedia.

The Internet has rendered vintage encyclopedias obsolete and today the value is primarily from people looking to have a set similar to the one that they grew up with. A complete 1967 white britannica encyclopedia sells for $50 or so at auction and for $120 to $150 from antique book dealers.

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We had no need for a wake because we weren't grieving. We had known for some time that this day was coming. Given how little revenue the print set generated, and given that we had long ago shifted to a digital-first editorial process, the bound volumes had become a distraction and a chore to put together.

World Book was first published in 1917. Since 1925, a new edition of the encyclopedia has been published annually. Although published online in digital form for a number of years, World Book is currently the only American encyclopedia which also still provides a print edition.

Britannica is a membership site, so only paid members and Free Trial participants are able to access the entire Britannica database and complete line of special features.

Recycling encyclopedias

Call your local library and ask if you may donate your set to be sold. Put it up for giveaway on freecycle.org. If they're really old -- say, more than 100 years -- call a rare bookseller and ask if they're worth anything. Find out if a local recycler takes them.

Call your local recycling plant. They may have a specific set of rules for how to dispose of your encyclopedias and may even be able to pick them up from you. You can also use your old encyclopedias as a craft project. Take the photos inside and use them for scrap booking purposes.

Old encyclopedias are attracting collectors primarily for two reasons: scarcity and information. As is the case with all rare books and other collectibles, the more scarce an edition is, the more likely it is to have a bigger spread between supply and demand, and thus the higher the monetary value.

Back then, the Encyclopedia Britannica, one of the most popular versions of the books, sold anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000. It's hard to wrap your mind around the price 30 years later, but it was the go-to source for information at the time.

Is the Encyclopedia Britannica worth it? ›

The Encyclopedia Britannica contains carefully edited articles on all major topics. It fits the ideal purpose of a reference work as a place to get started, or to refer back to as you read and write. The articles in Britannica are written by expert authors who are both identifiable and credible.

For serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, 4 were found in Wikipedia, and 4 in Britannica (1:1). The study concluded that "Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries", although Wikipedia's articles were often "poorly structured".

Its fiercest competitor of yore, The Encyclopedia Britannica, ended its print run in 2012 after 244 years in print.

You will not be charged during your free trial, and you can cancel at any time. If you decide not to cancel your subscription, your service will continue at $1.44 a week (billed annually at $74.95) for your first year and renew after that year at the then-current rate annually. All subscriptions are billed annually.

Harland & Wolff yard no. 433 was not officially named "Britannic" until 1 September 1912 and a legend persists that she was originally intended to be named "Gigantic", and her name was changed after the "Titanic" disaster on 15 April 1912.

A.J. Jacobs was not the first to read the entire Britannica. The earliest recorded example was Fath Ali, who upon becoming the Shah of Persia in 1797, was given a gift of the 3rd edition of the Britannica.

For serious errors, such as misinterpretations of important concepts, 4 were found in Wikipedia, and 4 in Britannica (1:1). The study concluded that "Wikipedia comes close to Britannica in terms of the accuracy of its science entries", although Wikipedia's articles were often "poorly structured".

Recycling encyclopedias

Call your local library and ask if you may donate your set to be sold. Put it up for giveaway on freecycle.org. If they're really old -- say, more than 100 years -- call a rare bookseller and ask if they're worth anything.