Encyclopedias, Wikipedia, and how we get information in the 21st century

Hour 2

The publishers of the Encyclopedia Britannica announced earlier this month that after 244 years, they will no longer make available print editions of the reference book.  It will however make available its resources online for an annual membership of $70.  Current editions include 32 volumes and cost roughly $1,395. Contributing to the demise of the Britannica‘s print version is competition from specialized websites and the free online encyclopedia Wikipedia.  Wikipedia now includes more than 20 million articles many of which are written by an anonymous and unregulated community of contributors which raises some concerns about accuracy and reliability. We’ll talk about the end of the printed encyclopedia with JULIE BOSMANof the New York Times.  Then, how do you become a wise consumer of information in the 21st century?  Our guests include STEVEN BELL, associate University Librarian for Research and Instructional Services at Temple University, and JACOB SOLL, professor of history at Rutgers and a MacArthur Fellow.

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[audio: 032812_110630.mp3]