Encyclopedias

Compendia of Knowledge

Definitions

1. The circle of learning; a general course of instruction.

2. A literary work containing extensive information on all branches of knowledge, usually arranged in alphabetical order.

3. An elaborate and exhaustive repertory of information on all the branches of some particular art or department of knowledge; esp. one arranged in alphabetical order.

-From the OED

Definitions

Compendium of knowledge, either general (attempting to cover all fields) or specialized (aiming to be comprehensive in a particular field). (The Columbia Encyclopedia)

I have a question about…Try an Encyclopedia if… I’m interested in locating an overview of the

civil rights movement in the United States during the 1950s. Do you have a book on this?

I need to write a paper on thermonuclear dynamics for my freshman physics class. Where can I find a brief introduction?

What is life like living on a Kibbutz?

Types of questions for which an Encyclopedia may be useful General background information Ready reference Quick Overviews

Goals of an Encyclopedia

To provide a summarized compendium of multidisciplinary knowledge in a verifiable, organized and readily accessible manner.

Allows users to meet their information needs on a general level, and then on a specific level by pointing to additional resources (Bopp and Smith)

Types of Encyclopedias

General – Data from all branches of knowledge World Book Encyclopedia Britannica Encyclopedia Americana Collier’s Funk and Wagnalls

Types of Encyclopedias

Subject Specific –Specialized and narrows information down to a specific topic

Various subjects and subject-specific encyclopedias include: Art – The Dictionary of Art – 34 volumes,

41,000 entries Folklore –An encyclopedia of Beliefs,

Customs, Tales, Music and Art History – Civilization of the Ancient

Mediterranean: Greece and Rome

Types of Encyclopedias

Library Science: Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science

Music – The New Grove II Dictionary of Music and Musicians Online – 29 vols.

Philosophy – Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy – 10 vols.

Science – The McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology

Types of Encyclopedias

Other Subject Specific examples include: Encyclopedia of Homelessness Encyclopedia of Religion Encyclopedia of the World’s Zoos And hundreds if not thousands of others

Types of Encyclopedias

Children and Young Adult World Book – Ages 10-16 Childcraft – published by World Book,

intended for preschool-aged children The New Book of Knowledge – Ages 7-13

Types of Encyclopedias – Foreign-Language

French: Grand Dictionnaire Encyclopedique Larousse

Frances’ “Encyclopedia Britannica” German: Brockhaus Enzyklopadie

Originally written to address “women’s issues” Written for the “common man” Served as model for the early Americana and

Chamber’s Encyclopedia

Types of Encyclopedias – Foreign-Language Italian: Enciclopedia Europa

Brief, specific coverage of Italian and European History, Culture and Science

Longer companion articles with considerable substance

Excellent illustrations Spanish-Nueva Enciclopedia Cumbre en Linea

For young people and adults 15,000 entires, 8,000 illustrations Articles are international-oriented with Latin American

focus

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Scope

General Encyclopedias Age Level –

Grade and High School (World Book), Adult – (Britannica) All encyclopedias cannot be meet all needs

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Authority

Names of scholars and experts Quick Check

Recognition of prominent names in field Are leaders of the in the field represented in

contributor’s list? Contributor’s qualifications – degree, association,

position, etc. Currency Accuracy Relatively objective

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Currency

The edition cannot be used to establish currency – ex. Britannica 14 ed.-1929, 15 ed. 1974.

Continuous Revision: Many large publishers claim to revise 5-10% of work annually. Revision dates can be found on the verso page of a

specific volume. Supplements: Yearbooks – Provide updates to

current events, year in review Information in yearbooks is not always incorporated

into future revision

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Currency

Digital CDs: Publisher may send updates annually Online: Resources may be updated daily,

weekly or monthly

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Arrangement and Entry Print

Alphabetical order Cross references

Terms may be highlighted in bold lettering indicating the term has its own entry

Index Some argue that a “See also” can eliminate the

index. Too many terms can complicate locating entries.

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Format

Electronic Reaches a greater number of users Users must be computer literate Databases – annual costs

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Format

Print Ease of use/ ability to browse Not updated as frequently as electronic resources Continued access Trace treatment of subject over time

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Cost

Encyclopedias are often discounted to libraries

5-6% of encyclopedia sales are to libraries Publishers benefit from the public seeing its

encyclopedias in the library

Evaluating Encyclopedias: Review Sources Kister’s Best Encyclopedias – a comparative guide to

general and specialized encyclopedias: Subject Encyclopedias – Last update – 1994 30 broad subjects areas including: Biology and Animal

Life, Theatre and Dance Annotated entries in alphabetical order

ARBA Online and ARBA in print Book Index with Reviews Booklist: Special Encyclopedia Update

September Issue