Books
Meri Britannica:
The End Of An Era
by ROOPINDER SINGH
The morning papers came in a bit late, and thus I checked up on the day’s news on my smartphone. What I read made me sad.
I reached out to a bookshelf and drew out a volume that had seen much use over the years, and thumbed through the pages of my Encyclopaedia Britannica.
A curious child in the pre-Internet era was bound to have a relationship with encyclopaedias.
It started in Yadavindra Public School, Patiala, Punjab, where the library had a good set of a children’s encyclopaedia. Richly illustrated, it was fascinating to see, and instructive to read. Pears Cyclopaedia was often consulted at home, courtesy my mother’s library.
In Amritsar, subsequently, one day I got a call from my father, ever on the quest for rare books at various second-hand stores. He had stumbled upon the seven-volume “Peoples of all Nations: Their Life to-day (sic) and the Story of Their Past.”
I cycled up the uccha pul, and negotiated the narrow lanes near the Darbar Sahib to arrive at the bookstore and take possession of the volumes, which were thereafter precariously perched on the carrier of my bicycle. These now occupy a place of pride on my bookshelves, and it is fascinating how much of the information in this set, published in 1922, is still valid, and how much of it is not!
Encyclopaedia Britannica was the Holy Grail that still eluded me.
One day, just after I graduated from school, I was told to make a choice - between a Bajaj scooter and the Britannica. I found it interesting that the two things that I coveted so much were similarly priced, but for a youngster who prized physical mobility over mental agility, it was a no-brainer. The scooter won.
‘Hamara Bajaj’ came home and the Britannica stayed away.
I went off to college and lived in a hostel. The library was exceedingly well stocked and I would consult the Britannica often.
As time went by, my scooter became old and I felt that it needed an upgrade. My mother, ever mindful of my edification, still felt that I needed the Britannica. This time I agreed to continue with the old Bajaj and opted for the encyclopaedia.
I would refer to it; sometimes check out the brief entries in the Micropædia, and at times, the longer ones in the Macropædia … Simply browsing through random pages was fun. Year-Books kept the set updated, and the affair continued.
I bought a CD with the encyclopaedia in it, but it remained largely unused. However, the same could not be said for the edition I downloaded for my smartphone. The feature of showing random entries was the first allurement; the quick reference it provided was a life-saving feature, and the immediacy of having it everywhere, all the time, a major convenience.
The print edition now took a backseat … till I read the news that morning that the Britannica was being discontinued, 244 years after it was first published in 1768.
It was almost a physical blow. What! No Encyclopaedia Britannica!
The digital move had been inevitable ever since 1981, when the company published what could have been the world’s first digital encyclopaedia, even though it was only a text version, without illustrations and graphics, all of which came in later. Well, the content will still be there, in a different form.
Encyclopaedia Britannica is dead. Long live Encyclopaedia
Britannica.
[Courtesy: Tribune. Edited for sikhchic.com]
March 16, 2012
Conversation about this article
1: Sangat Singh (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), March 16, 2012, 9:25 AM.
I too saw that depressing news this morning. The story has brought back a flood of memories of my pre-partition school days. It was considered a rare possession that only a few could afford. The other one was 'The Book of Knowledge', I think it came in 10 volumes. I remember trudging miles on foot to go to a friend's house that had those coveted volumes. What doors it opened for us! Then came a one volume "Pear's Cyclopedia" which was just affordable enough to whet your appetite. But then, if you were lucky you could have picked up a brand new, unused Britannica in pristine condition, advertised for sale: "A brand new unused set of Britannica Encyclopedia for sale. Just got married and spouse knows everything!" Thank you, Roopinder ji, for this nostalgic trip.
2: T. Sher Singh (Mount Forest, Ontario, Canada), March 16, 2012, 10:05 AM.
Roopinder has indeed stirred up some loving memories. I too had yearned to own a Britannica, ever since I first adoringly pored through its pages for the first time in school. Therefore, as a 21-year old who had only recently arrived in Canada, one of the first possessions I acquired was the 9th Edition of Encyclopaedia Britannica, which was printed 121 years ago. It still sits comfortably in my current home which is but a mere 7 years older. A few years later, I acquired a newer set, followed by a string of updates. Both do more than adorn my bookshelves today: they still give far greater joy, I should add, than anything the internet can do for us. And still prove far more detailed and accurate, if and when real research becomes necessary. More on my adventures with the Britannica another day ...