Page 171 - DLIS006_INFORMATION SOURCES AND SERVICES

Information Sources and Services

Notes purpose and coverage. The encyclopaedias can be further divided by using any one of the
following basis: Single or multi volume; scope of coverage national or International, language,
age group and the like. Now, let us discuss general and special encyclopaedias in detail with
suitable examples.

8.3.1 General Encyclopaedias

General encyclopaedias cover all the existing branches of human knowledge. They are most
popular and extensively used reference sources. They are classified into different categories
according to format, user’s age, coverage and language. Some popular examples are mentioned
below:
(I) Comprehensive Multi-Volume Encyclopaedia for Adults - English Language
The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th ed. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1974. 30
volumes:
(i) Propaedia - 1 volume: Propaedia, a guide to the set, gives outline of knowledge and is
a schematic introduction to article in Macropaedia.

(ii) Micropaedia - 10 volumes: Macropaedia, a study guide contains brief information for
ready reference and acts as a detailed index to the set by giving volume and page
reference to articles in the Macropaedia.
(iii) Macropaedia - 19 volumes: Macropadia containing knowledge in depth has lengthy
articles. It covers major topics of human interest and is intended to educate the
serious readers. They are written by well-known experts and include selective and
annotated bibliographies. It has international approach and universal coverage.

Did u know? Since 1938, every year ‘Britannica Book of the Year’ is published to update the
information and it also follows policy of continuous revision.
The new edition was criticised for not providing an index to the set, hence in 1985 print, a
two-volume index was also published making it a set of 32 volumes. The encyclopaedia
volumes were also re-numbered as:
Propaedia – 1 volume

Micropaedia – 12 volumes
Macropaedia – 17 volumes
Index – 2 volumes

Encyclopaedia Americana. New York: Groiler, 1976.30 volumes.
The first edition was published in 1903-1904 as a 16 volumes set. The 1912 edition carried
its title only “Americana”.

A completely new revised edition was published in 1918-20, which has become the basis
for succeeding editions.
It is good, comprehensive multi-volume encyclopaedia for general use. Most of the articles
are signed but bibliographies are not often updated. It has adopted the continuous revision
policy. Every year some articles are revised but new editions are not published.
Since 1923, “American Annual: An Encyclopaedia of Events” has been published to record
the events of the previous year.

166 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY