Video killed the radio star, and the Internet may have just killed the printed Encyclopaedia Britannica.
The 2010 print edition will be the last one published, according to a Tuesday post on The Encyclopaedia Britannica Blog. The company, which publishes an updated 32-volume encyclopedia every two years, plans to sell what is left of its inventory and only publish digitally.
On Wednesday, UF’s Smathers Library bought one of the remaining 2010 edition encyclopedias, said Blake Landor, a humanities librarian in the library’s reference section. The 2003 edition is currently available on the third floor.
The encyclopedia launched on the Internet in 1994. Users have to pay for a subscription to access all the Web content.
Landor said he has seen a trend of print editions of books being replaced by electronic versions. He said he prefers an electronic format for reference books. For other books, he enjoys the print version, he said. He admitted, however, he has recently gotten a Kindle.
Nineteen-year-old visual art studies freshman Madeline Calise said the last time she used the print encyclopedia was in middle school. She said she uses online references for convenience.
Calise previously worked at Patrick Paperbacks bookstore in Satellite Beach. She said many people are still dedicated to using print books.
“I personally always believe there is a place for print,” she said.
