Page 168 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Unit 8: Encyclopaedia

There are some broad differences between encyclopaedias and dictionaries. Most noticeably, Notes
encyclopaedia articles are longer, fuller and more thorough than entries in most general-purpose
dictionaries. There are differences in content as well. Generally speaking, dictionaries provide
linguistic information about words themselves, while encyclopaedias focus more on the thing
for which those words stand. Thus, while dictionary entries are inextricably fixed to the word
described, encyclopaedia articles can be given a different entry name. As such, dictionary entries
are not fully translatable into other languages, but encyclopaedia articles can be.

Task Using Internet trace out some of the more differences between encyclopaedias and
dictionaries, other than listed in the text here.
In practice, however, the distinction is not concrete, as there is no clear-cut difference between
factual, “encyclopaedic” information and linguistic information such as appears in dictionaries.
Thus encyclopaedias may contain material that is also found in dictionaries, and vice versa. In
particular, dictionary entries often contain factual information about the thing named by the
word.

Self Assessment

Fill in the blanks:

1. An ................................... is a book, or series of books, that contains general information
about many topics and subjects.
2. The word ‘encyclopaedia’ is derived from the Greek word ‘............................. ’ meaning
‘general education’.
3. A detailed ............................ with ............................. helps tracing the spread over information
easily and quickly.
8.2 Importance, Purpose and Uses

The importance of an encyclopaedia can be realized from the fact that it is regarded as a backbone
of reference service. These are most used reference books.

Encyclopaedia is best used for finding answers to background questions related to general
information and self-education for both the specialist and the layman. The primary value lies in
the fact that it provides an overview for various topics, which can be highly useful for one who
is dealing with a subject about which he hardly knows anything. This may be true for a specialist
in a subject of a student or a layman.
However the more specific uses of encyclopaedia are:

1. Encyclopaedias are looked for concise, digested and in some cases simplified account on a
topic on which otherwise there may be abundance of available literature.
2. They attempt to provide essential historical background to the topic of enquiry.
3. References generally listed at the end of a brief or detailed description are selective and
provide important help for further study of the topic.
4. Very often encyclopaedias are the only source for biographical information on another
wise minor figure not covered in standard biographical dictionaries.
5. General encyclopaedia can serve as a gateway to understand the most profound or intricate
knowledge human beings have yet produced.

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