The E-Sylum:  Volume 7, Number 11, March 14, 2004, Article 26

DUSTY ENCYCLOPEDIAS

  On March 8, an Associated Press story outlined the plight
  of printed encyclopedias in the online media age:

  "These are lonely days for encyclopedias.

  At libraries, the volumes sit ignored for days on end as
  information-seeking patrons tap busily away at nearby
  computers."

  "In the Internet age, encyclopedias are gathering dust, and
  most families with young children don't even consider buying
  the space-hogging printed sets anymore. Even digital versions
  struggle for attention.

  Michael Gray's home computer came pre-loaded with Microsoft
  Corp.'s reference software, Encarta, but the seventh-grader
  from Milpitas, Calif., has never used it. He prefers doing
  research online, where information from a vast array of sources
  comes quickly and, for the most part, for free.

  Like many students, his first Internet stop is Google.

  "I find information really fast," Gray says, smiling proudly.
  "Within five to 10 minutes, I find a good (Web) site to work
  from."

  "Students all want to use the Internet, librarians say, though
  younger ones sometimes get lost in the sea of information on
  the World Wide Web.

  "Half of them want to jump on the computer and are not even
  sure what they want to look up," said Sue Krumbein, a middle
  school librarian in Menlo Park, Calif. Krumbein's rule: Students
  first must complete book-based research to narrow their
  questions before surfing the Web."

  To read the full article, se: Full Article

  Wayne Homren, Editor

	coinbooks.org Web

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