NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- After 244 years, Encyclopedia Britannica will cease production of its iconic multi-volume book sets.
Britannica usually prints a new set of the tomes every two years, but 2010's 32-volume set will be its last. Instead, the company will focus solely on its digital encyclopedia and education tools.
The news is sure to sadden champions of the printed word, but Britannica president Jorge Cauz said the move is a natural part of his company's evolution.
"Everyone will want to call this the end of an era, and I understand that," Cauz says. "But there's no sad moment for us. I think outsiders are more nostalgic about the books than I am."
In truth, Cauz says, the death knell sounded long ago. Though the name "Britannica" calls the print sets to mind, Cauz says they represent less than 1% of the company's total sales.
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2 comments:
Aw shoot, I thought for a second it was because we knew everything.
And what of World Book Encyclopedia? They always had the best pictures.
We had that exact set pictured. The problem, of course, is that they become outdated very quickly and at $200+ for a set (at the time) we were stuck with an increasingly aging set. "Someday man will land on the moon".
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