The day of the birth of the first person to live and eventually die without ever opening a real book got a little closer today.  The venerable, dependable and well vetted Encyclopedia Britannica has announced their 2010 edition will be its last in print.

To be honest, I haven't opened a hard copy encyclopedia since high school, over twenty years ago.  And it was the economically priced Funk &  Wagnalls. We got it through some sort of green stamp type deal at the grocery store.  Before computers you'd find at the very least a bible, dictionary and set of encyclopedias in the the homes of most families.

For 244 years Encyclopedia Britannica has been at it, usually printing the set every two years.  2010's 32 volume set is the last.  The company will now focus on it's digital version and its much more lucrative educational tool products.

With the march of technology seeing a top-of-the-line iPad selling for cheaper than a set of Encyclopedia Britannica and with Wikipedia totally free it was only a matter of time before the end of the elegant and cornerstone of any physical library was phased out.

 

More From NewsTalk 940 AM