The Cost of Knowledge

    While several publishers produced encyclopedias in the past, this is no longer the case.  World Book Encyclopedia has been published since 1917 and is now “the only general reference encyclopedia still published today” (World Book Inc, 2024). The encyclopedia is designed to cover significant areas of knowledge uniformly, although “Filling 22 volumes, this specific-entry print reference work emphasizes geography and biography and gives broad treatment to such subject areas as business, psychology, government, energy, ecology, and criminology” (Britannica, 2016).  Given that it is the last print encyclopedia, one must wonder if value still exists in printing volumes or if digital copies are the best use of time, space, and financial resources.

In order to evaluate this question, we can consider the work by Riedling (2013) in Reference Skills for the School Librarian. “One must consider the following: Content Scope; Accuracy, Authority and Bias; Arrangement and Presentation; Relation to Similar Works; Timelessness and Permanence; Accessibility and Diversity; and Cost” (Riedling, 2013, p.22-23). Similarly when evaluating an encyclopedia, Harber recommends the careful consideration of the following criteria: “the work must be up to date, frequently and systematically revised according to high standards of scholarship and authority; easy enough to read for students to use it; little to no evidence of bias or prejudice; and that physical appearance of the volumes and the layout of the pages are important (Harbar, 1988, p.20)” (DeWith, 2017).

According to Riedling, reference resources should regularly be evaluated and replaced every five years.  Consideration should be given to new resources, including digital copies of printed materials.  To do a proper evaluation, one should use a rubric to compare materials fairly. In order to achieve this, I created a rubric based on the criteria outlined in pages 71-74 in Riedling’s (2013) book “Reference Skills for the School Librarian” The rubric I created can be found in the appendix. The following organizer is a table which showcases my comparison of the World Book Encyclopedia’s print and online resources and their overall effectiveness.

	Printed Editions	Online Editions
Currency	With the current 2024 World Book Encyclopedia set costing $1,199.00 US, it would be difficult to afford to purchase the set, let alone keep your collection within the 5-year limit as suggested by Riedling. However, it is evident that you will receive a quality product that would be a fantastic resource for any home or school.	The world book is also available in online format.  Currently, a subscription for a single person is $250.00. This online format allows the publishers to produce a product as impressive as the print version but with many other embedded tech supports.  However, being tech-based can also be a hindrance to the young or anyone not quite as familiar with the ways in which web pages work.  Some may be afraid to select buttons with which they are unfamiliar or find all the choices overwhelming.  That said, the World Book online version may be a better option for several reasons.
Relevancy	Content is well-defined.  The articles are thorough and explain the topic well.  However, the content would be challenging for younger children to follow as it is written for those aged nine and up.	Content is well-defined.  The articles are thorough and explain the topic well.  The online format allows users to select a level of reading appropriate for their age.  Articles are able to be read aloud, and additional videos are possible in this format. Videos add another level of interactivity for students, especially those with learning disabilities.
Authority	All content authors are experts in their fields -Well-known publishing company	All content authors are experts in their fields -Well-known publishing company
Accuracy	Content is fairly well organized. Approximately 4000 experts write articles and then revised them for clarity and understanding by staff editors.	Content is fairly well organized. Approximately 4000 experts write articles and then revised them for clarity and understanding by staff editors. The online option allows for instant updates as new information is found. Print edition updates would have to wait for the following year to be published.
Purpose	I found that World Book did have a clear purpose to inform and teach. According to the company, the latest edition, World Book Encyclopedia 2023, contains more than 14,000 pages distributed in 22 volumes and over 25,000 photographs.	World Book Online did have a clear purpose to inform and teach. More tools are embedded to allow for greater accessibility for all as well as “Rich multimedia, including nearly 700 videos and original animations and 17,000+ photos and illustrations.”
Format	Print and pictures are fairly clear and easy to follow. However, some articles are more prominent than others. “World Book editors lay out major articles distinctly, often starting them on a page of their own, perhaps with a two-column heading.” (World Book, 2024). While this allows a lot of information to be placed on one page, it is sometimes hard to skim to see the information you are looking for.  This is mitigated somewhat by using bold type and photos, but many other text features and larger print would help to skim pages quickly.	Print and illustrations are clear and easy to follow. Students begin by doing a search for their subject and are directed to the required resources.  Other articles, videos, etc.. of interest are flagged and offered as choices. While the page setup is similar, you have the ability to enlarge the print, change the language, view videos, and have the ability to use Google Suite products to enhance your notetaking. Citations can be easily done within the web page and cut and pasted into your bibliography.
Curricular	World Book offers information on a wide variety of topics that would interest students as they pursue inquiry projects. A comprehensive index is included, details of the subject presented are fairly adequate, and topics cover a broad cross-section of relevant disciplines, with approximately 100 articles being added each year and thousands of articles thoroughly revised each year.	World Book offers information on a wide variety of topics that would interest students as they pursue inquiry projects. A comprehensive index is included in each article, and details of the subject presented are quite appropriate, given that additional links to other articles, videos, and e-books are available. The website also provides distinct areas for early learning, kids, students, advanced, timelines, and much more. In addition, topics cover a broad cross-section of relevant disciplines, with approximately 100 articles being added each year and thousands of articles are thoroughly revised each year. Unlike the print version, this can happen in a timely fashion when the content is online.

Despite a few drawbacks, I would select the World Book Online following this analysis.  It has many advantages over the print copy, such as: the ability to select appropriate resources according to age level, having search tips available, results that are easy to view with a clear layout and images to click, and articles which reveal a Table of Contents for quick search of relevant information. In addition to these advantages, there are also options such as accessing citations in several formats, videos and extra links to additional articles, accessibility tools such as text to speech and language translation, the fact that information can be readily updated and also access to these resources can be 24/7 for its users. However, cost is a factor that could be hard to swallow when searching for information on Google seems to be sufficient in most cases. 

Appendix

Article 1: Rubric for evaluation of print and online resources

	Level1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4
Currency	-Sources listed are greater than five years old -No revisions since the last edition	-Sources listed are three/four years old -Some revisions since the last edition	-Sources listed are two years old - Many revisions since the last edition	-Sources listed are less than one year old -Considerable revisions since the last edition
Relevancy	-Content is unclear -content is reading level is difficult  for intended audience	-Content is somewhat defined -content is reading level is somewhat appropriate for intended audience	-Content is fairly well-defined -content is reading level is fairly appropriate for intended audience	-Content is well-defined -content is reading level is appropriate for intended audience
Authority	-Content author's credentials are unclear. -Publishing company is unknown	-Some content authors are experts in their fields -Somewhat well-known publishing company	-Many content authors are experts in their fields -fairly well-known publishing company	-All content authors are experts in their fields -Well-known publishing company
Accuracy	-Content is not well organized	-Content is somewhat organized	-Content is fairly well organized	-Content is well organized
Purpose	-No clear purpose to inform and teach -Content is not advertising and bias-free	-Somewhat clear purpose to inform and teach -Content is somewhat free of advertising and bias	-Fairly clear purpose to inform and teach -Content is fairly free of advertising and bias	-Clear purpose to inform and teach -Content is advertising and bias-free
Format	-Print and illustrations are not clear and easy to follow.	-Print and illustrations are somewhat clear and easy to follow.	-Print and illustrations are fairly clear and easy to follow.	-Print and illustrations are clear and easy to follow.
Curricular	-A comprehensive index is not included in each volume -detail of the subject presented is not adequate -topics do not cover a broad cross-section of relevant disciplines	-A comprehensive index is included in some volumes -detail of the subject presented is somewhat adequate -topics cover a somewhat broad cross-section of relevant disciplines	-A comprehensive index is included in many volumes -detail of the subject presented  is fairly adequate -topics cover a fairly broad cross-section of relevant disciplines	-A comprehensive index is included in each volume -detail of the subject presented is adequate -topics cover a broad cross-section of relevant disciplines

References

Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2016, January 26). World Book Encyclopedia. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/The-World-Book-Encyclopedia

DeWith, Y. (2017, November 21). Evaluation and Selection of a Reference Resource. Experience Learning. February 6, 2024, https://ydewith.wordpress.com/ 

Reidling, A. M., & Houston, C. (2019). Reference Skills for the School Librarian (4th ed.). Libraries Unlimited.

World Book Inc. (2024). Encyclopedias. World Book Encyclopedias. https://www.worldbook.com/encyclopedias.aspx