Out of print

Recent news about the Encyclopedia Britannica president's announcement of the company's decision to stop publishing the paper version may have come as a surprise to many but mostly because of how long it took them to conclude that time had arrived.Granted, ditching a centuries old paper-based encyclopedia is not a decision to take lightly but it'd become obvious that publishing something of this calibre (in size and cost, I mean) had to be, at the very least, reconsidered.
The Britannica, which was first published in the late 18th century, acquired over time the authority and respect that made it a solid reference within, and beyond, the English-speaking world. Those heavy and glossy books contained everything that was worthwhile knowing.A source of information for generations. But 32 books graciously bound and edited don't come cheap. Luckily, children whose families couldn't afford buying this printed mammoth would be able to quench their thirst of knowledge in schools and public libraries.
It remained an invaluable educational tool whose authority was rarely- if ever- questioned, being quoted and cited in countless occasions; a purveyor of knowledge and a gate to a wealth of information. But that was then and things started to quickly change with the arrival of the Internet; suddenly, information could be obtained with the click of a mouse and people, understandably, started to ponder whether it would be sensible  to continue paying large sums of money when they could get up-to-date information on their computer/tablet/smartphone screens. The Britannica was slow to grasp this and a couple of young entrepreneurs beat them at their own game by creating a free and collaborative online encyclopedia (yes, that one)...and the rest is history. The Britannica website ( http://www.britannica.co.uk) is now a very good resource with both a free and a paying version; it is accessible and easy to navigate, with interesting features (eg videos) that improve your search.There will be people who no doubt will miss the printed version but this seems to be a sound and practical move.