A Road Map to Choosing Formats
By Stephen Del Vecchio -- School Library Journal, 9/1/1997
back to main article: Out for a Spin: A School Librarian Test Drives 14 CD-ROM Encyclopedias
It pays to make careful decisions when choosing encyclopedias. Here are three issues to consider: 1) pricing and network versions, 2) the state of web encyclopedias, 3) the pros and cons of print vs. electronic titles.
Pricing and Network Versions. Because CD-ROMs are relatively new and highly competitive, pricing can be volatile and confusing.
The most straightforward prices are for retail stand-alone CDs. Even in this area, however, almost no one pays list price for the most heavily promoted products. World Book, for example, gives print purchasers the CD-ROM for a $5 shipping and handling fee.
Network versions are even more expensive and subject to more complex pricing. Since some publishers were less than forthcoming with me about prices, I suspect they are subject to negotiation. It is essential that you actively research your options.
Online Encyclopedias. Genuine online encyclopedias are still rare. The only true encyclopedia fully accessible on the Web is the Encyclopaedia Britannica.
There are three encyclopedias on America Online: Compton's Living Encyclopedia, Columbia Concise Encyclopedia, and Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia.
Compuserve offers Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia and Hutchinson Encyclopedia (a British work published by Helicon). Text, illustrations, and maps are the same as the CD-ROM versions, but multimedia components are missing.
For most libraries, slow access and download times and fewer features make online a second or third choice after print and CD-ROM.
Right now, online sites are most useful as sources of updates for CD-ROM versions. World Book/IBM, Britannica, Compton's, Microsoft, and Mindscape all have easy-to-use sites that support and enhance their products.
Comparison to Print Versions. Should you replace your print encyclopedias with CD-ROM? In every case, your particular circumstances will dictate the answer.
Nonetheless, here are issues to keep in mind.
- The quality of text, illustrations, and maps is usually superior in print.
- Even the best CD-ROMs will be difficult for many to use well at first.
- Unless you purchase a network version -- and not all titles are available in network versions -- CD-ROM encyclopedias can accommodate significantly fewer simultaneous users compared to a multivolume print encyclopedia. This disadvantage alone may offset the price advantage of CD-ROMs. (For a fuller and still remarkably accurate analysis of cost issues see Joel Shoemaker's article "The Bottom Line: Are CD-ROM Encyclopedias Worth the Cost?," SLJ, February 1995, p. 28-31.).
- There is the very real possibility that hardware and software failures or theft and gremlins will frustrate or even prevent use of CD-ROM encyclopedias. While I'm a technophile, I'm sure glad I still have my print sets.
Of course, CD-ROMs do have real advantages.
- The cut, paste, and print features of most CD-ROMs protect print volumes from photocopier damage.
- Powerful search engines and indexes in most CD-ROMs can be a real advantage in accessing content, especially with massive sets such as the Britannica and Americana.
- Audio, video, animation, and interactive features are, of course, only available on CD-ROM.
- Online updates add currency to your reference collection, as well as increasing its scope.
My recommendation: Add CD-ROM versions to your collection rather than replacing print. The place to start when choosing encyclopedias is Kenneth F. Kister's Kister's Best Encyclopedias: A Comparative Guide to General and Specialized Encyclopedias, Second Edition (Oryx Press, 1994).
back to main article: Out for a Spin: A School Librarian Test Drives 14 CD-ROM Encyclopedias
