THE PUBLICATION in 1964 of my book, The Myth of the Britannica, fulfilled a promise made in the spring of 1960 in the Columbia Forum that I would write a book which would…
Abstract
THE PUBLICATION in 1964 of my book, The Myth of the Britannica, fulfilled a promise made in the spring of 1960 in the Columbia Forum that I would write a book which would ‘demonstrate how an inadequate reference work has been elevated into a national legend’.
For over 200 years the Encyclopaedia Britannica has been the standard against which all other English language encyclopedias are measured. Although universally acknowledged as an…
Abstract
For over 200 years the Encyclopaedia Britannica has been the standard against which all other English language encyclopedias are measured. Although universally acknowledged as an outstanding reference work, it has endured a series of financial crises, questionable editorial decisions, and a difficult transition into the computer age. This article will examine the most controversial of the Britannica’s moves, the decision to divide the encyclopedia into the Micropaedia and Macropaedia. The many intellectual improvements that were introduced into the Britannica at this time were overshadowed by attention given to the unusual, sometimes frustrating, new arrangement of the set. An even greater threat to the Britannica’s livelihood has come from the electronic age. Ironically, it was only after the Britannica came online that many of the problems that were inherent in the printed version have been resolved.
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ENCYCLOPAEDIA BRITANNICA proudly stands on the shelves of our libraries, daily informing our readers. Informing? … Or misleading?
All items listed may be borrowed from the Aslib Library, except those marked *, which may be consulted in the Library.
An updated edition of an already owned reference tool is something a library usually acquires without much fanfare. If book budgets permit, it is purchased and replaces the…
Abstract
An updated edition of an already owned reference tool is something a library usually acquires without much fanfare. If book budgets permit, it is purchased and replaces the previous edition on the shelf.
THE re‐organisation of local government in Greater London and the resultant amalgamation of library authorities is viewed by many with considerable misgivings. The upheaval of…
Abstract
THE re‐organisation of local government in Greater London and the resultant amalgamation of library authorities is viewed by many with considerable misgivings. The upheaval of staff, the loss of status for some senior officers, the general uncertainty for the future—these are very real consequences of the Act and they cannot be ignored. Many chief librarians will see the work of a lifetime, perhaps spent in building up a comprehensive and unified system, made virtually meaningless overnight.
The re‐organisation of local government in Greater London and the resultant amalgamation of library authorities is viewed by many with considerable misgivings. The upheaval of…
Abstract
The re‐organisation of local government in Greater London and the resultant amalgamation of library authorities is viewed by many with considerable misgivings. The upheaval of staff, the loss of status for some senior officers, the general uncertainty for the future—these are very real consequences of the Act and they cannot be ignored. Many chief librarians will see the work of a lifetime, perhaps spent in building up a comprehensive and unified system, made virtually meaningless overnight.
The ideal in information storage and retrieval is a computer so specialized and so perfect that scientific writers would be compelled to write so as to conform to its input…
Abstract
The ideal in information storage and retrieval is a computer so specialized and so perfect that scientific writers would be compelled to write so as to conform to its input demands. Before this is achieved, however, existing documentation systems should be evaluated to see whether they are put to their optimal use. In the field of electronic machine translation, both visual and aural input have serious drawbacks. Output can be in the form of rapid print‐out, automatic composition and photography with a cathode grill or baffle‐plate, or ultrarapid aural dispersement. The disadvantages of present‐day language‐language dictionaries coded for machines are discussed. The two main difficulties in the production of abstracts, the time‐lag and the need for subject‐specialists, can be overcome with author abstracts, evaluations, and analyses by the editors at time of publication, and better titles and sub‐titles. Seven types of existing memory machines are compared from the point of view of input and storage, methods of retrieval to compare items of stored information, cost, problem‐solving time, and size.
THIS was my first experience in my home country of a conference in a university campus, and an impressive experience it was too. Away from the attractions and allurements of sea…
Abstract
THIS was my first experience in my home country of a conference in a university campus, and an impressive experience it was too. Away from the attractions and allurements of sea and coast, I found it particularly conducive to study and reflection, for the atmosphere of learning was all around us in this red‐brick university, the prototype of a civic university, founded in 1900 and with a student population of nearly 5,000.
This was my first experience in my home country of a conference in a university campus, and an impressive experience it was too. Away from the attractions and allurements of sea…
Abstract
This was my first experience in my home country of a conference in a university campus, and an impressive experience it was too. Away from the attractions and allurements of sea and coast, I found it particularly conducive to study and reflection, for the atmosphere of learning was all around us in this red‐brick university, the prototype of a civic university, founded in 1900 and with a student population of nearly 5,000.