Encyclopedias as Secondary Sources | Notes (Library and Information Science Notes UGC NET)
Definition & role:
An encyclopedia is a systematically arranged compendium of concise factual articles on a wide range of topics (general) or a well-defined domain (subject encyclopedia). In LIS they are treated as secondary reference sources i.e., they interpret, summarize or collate primary literature rather than present original research.
Why encyclopedias are important in libraries / for LIS students:
- Fast background & orienting reading (overview of topics)
- Broad coverage: good starting point for topic selection, reference interviews, prepares user for deeper primary/secondary sources
- Often peer-reviewed / editorially controlled: used to judge authority (but check date & authorship)
- Useful for students, general public and for exam-style factual questions.
Characteristics (evaluation checklist used in LIS):
- Scope (general vs subject)
- Authority / Editorship & contributors (signed articles vs unsigned)
- Currency / update frequency (yearbook, annual, print edition date, online update)
- Arrangement / indexing (alphabetic, thematic, multi-part structures like Micropædia/Macropædia)
- Volume structure / supporting aids (indexes, bibliographies, cross-refs)
- Medium (print, CD-ROM, online, wiki) affects use & reliability
Typical types (for quick exam recall):
- General encyclopedias (Britannica, Americana, Collier’s, Brockhaus)
- Subject encyclopedias (McGraw-Hill Encycl. of Science & Technology; Encyclopedia of Library & Information Science)
- National / language encyclopedias (Larousse, Brockhaus)
- Children’s / school encyclopedias (World Book, Compton’s)
- Digital/multimedia encyclopedias (Microsoft Encarta: historical example)
- Collaborative online encyclopedias (Wikipedia: modern, dynamic source; use with caution)
Notable Encyclopedias:
1. Encyclopaedia Britannica
Country/Origin: Edinburgh, Scotland. Published by A Society of Gentlemen in Scotland.
First Edition: 1768–1771, 3 vols. (edited by William Smellie).
Notable Editions:
9th ed. (1875–1889): Highly scholarly.
11th ed. (1910–1911): 29 vols, widely regarded as classic.
14th ed. (1929–1973): Revised multiple times.
15th ed. (1974, Britannica 3): 30 vols.
Propaedia: 1 vol (Outline of Knowledge, Mortimer Adler).
Micropaedia: 10 vols (~102,000 short entries, served as index).
Macropaedia: 19 vols (~4,000 long scholarly articles).
Revised 15th (1985): Expanded to 32 vols.
Propaedia: 1 vol.
Micropaedia: 12 vols.
Macropaedia: 17 vols.
Index: 2 vols (restored, as separate index).
Yearbook: Britannica Book of the Year (since 1938).
Last Print: 2010 (32 vols).
Status: Ceased print in 2012; available as Britannica Online and Ultimate DVD.
2. Cyclopaedia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia
Editor: Edward Balfour.
First Published: 1857.
Coverage: Encyclopaedic account of India, eastern and southern Asia.
3. Bidyakalpadntma Arthata Mbidha Bidyalisayaka Recna (Bengali Encyclopaedia)
Compiler: Rev. Krishnamohan Benerjee.
Years: 1846–1851.
Volumes: 13.
Language: Bengali.
4. Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences
Editors: Edwin R. A. Seligman and Alvin Saunders Johnson.
Years: 1930–1937.
Volumes: 15.
Coverage: Anthropology, economics, history, sociology, political science.
5. Columbia Encyclopaedia
Publisher: Columbia University Press, USA.
First Edition: 1935.
Notable Editions:
4th ed. (1975, fully revised).
6th ed. (2000), 3,200 pages, ~50,000 entries.
Scope: International, compact, single-volume.
Digital: Available online (encyclopedia.com, free).
6. Hutchinson’s Encyclopaedia
First Edition: 1948 (Hutchinson’s Twentieth Century Encyclopaedia).
Later Editions: 8th edition (1988); frequently revised.
Editor: Walter Hutchinson.
Latest (2005): 17,000+ articles, illustrations, fact boxes, timelines.
Scope: General, for children above 14 and adults.
7. McGraw-Hill Encyclopaedia of Science and Technology
Publisher: McGraw-Hill, New York.
First Edition: 1960, 20 vols.
Latest Edition: 11th ed. (2012), 20 vols.
2,500 new/revised entries, 13,000 illustrations.
Contributions from 5,000+ scientists, including Nobel laureates.
Yearbook: McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology (since 1962).
Electronic: AccessScience (since 1999, web version).
8. International Encyclopaedia of Social Sciences
First Edition: 1968–1980, 17 vols + 1 biographical volume.
Editor: David L. Sills (with Robert K. Merton’s contributions).
Second Edition: 2008, edited by William A. Darity Jr. (entirely new content).
Predecessor: Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences (1930–1937).
9. Encyclopaedia Americana
Publisher: Grolier, New York.
First Edition: 1903–1904, 16 vols.
Later Developments:
1912 edition titled only Americana.
1918–1920 revised edition.
Continuous revision system (annual updates).
Annual: Americana Annual (since 1923).
Latest Print Edition: 2005, 30 vols.
10. World Book Encyclopaedia
Publisher: World Book, Inc., USA.
First Edition: 1917, 8 vols.
Target Audience: School children & families (above 15 yrs).
Latest Print: 2013, 22 vols.
1,600 revised articles, 200 maps, 1,200 illustrations.
Special Features:
Braille edition (1962, 145 vols).
CD-ROM (1990), World Book Online Reference Center (since 1998).
11. Encyclopaedia of Library and Information Sciences (ELIS)
First Edition: 1968–2003, edited by Allen Kent & Harold Lancour.
33 vols, later expanded to 73 vols with supplements.
Second Edition: 2003, editor Miriam A. Drake.
Third Edition: 2009–2010, edited by Marcia J. Bates & Mary Niles Maack.
7 vols, expanded to cover archives, informatics, KM, social studies of information.
Fourth Edition: 2017, edited by John D. McDonald & Michael Levine-Clark.
7 vols, fully updated.
Publisher: Taylor & Francis.
Formats: Print + Online subscription.
12. Indian Encyclopaedias (Regional & National)
Jnanacakra (Gujarati Encyclopaedia): 1918, 9 vols.
Hindi Vishwakosh: Nagari Pracharini Sabha, Varanasi (1960–1970), 13 vols.
Weakness: No bibliographies, poor illustrations.
New project: Online Hindi Vishwakosh (C-DAC & Central Hindi Institute).
Vigyanam (Malayalam): 1956–1969, 6 vols.
Marathi Vishwakosh: Maharashtra Rajya Sahitya Sanskriti Mandal, Mumbai (1973 onwards).
Sankshipta Odia Jnanakosha (Encyclopaedia Orissana): 1963–1965, 4 vols.
Encyclopaedia of Scheduled Castes in India: Gyan Books, 2007.
13. Wikipedia
Launch: 2001 by Wikimedia Foundation, USA.
Nature: Collaborative, multilingual, open-edit encyclopaedia.
Status: 76,000+ active editors, 31+ million articles in 285+ languages.
Special Features: Instant updates, multimedia, sister projects (Wikibooks, Wikisource, Wikinews, etc.).
14. Electronic Encyclopaedias (Late 20th Century Onwards)
Microsoft Encarta: 1993 (CD-ROM/DVD only), discontinued 2009.
Funk and Wagnall’s Encyclopaedia: Ceased print in 1997.
Grolier Multimedia Encyclopaedia, Crompton’s Interactive Encyclopaedia, World Book Millennium: all in CD/DVD formats.
Blackwell Encyclopaedia of Sociology: Online, updated thrice yearly.
Others
1. Naturalis Historia — Pliny the Elder
Date (orig.): c. AD 77 (completed ~77–79).
Origin / Author: Pliny the Elder (Roman).
Format/volumes: 37 books (antique division). Not an “encyclopedia” in modern sense but an early encyclopedic compendium of natural & technical knowledge.
Why notable (LIS): classical model of compiling knowledge (used in historiography of reference works).
2. Etymologiae (The Etymologies): Isidore of Seville
Date: c. early 7th century (compiled c. 615–630).
Origin: Isidore of Seville (Hispano-Roman scholar).
Format: 20 books (medieval encyclopedic digest).
Significance: Medieval compendium that transmitted classical learning into the Middle Ages.
3. Yongle Dadian (Yongle Encyclopedia): Ming China
Date: commissioned 1403; completed 1408.
Origin / Sponsor: Yongle Emperor (Ming dynasty).
Volumes: 22,937 manuscript rolls ≈ 11,095 volumes (huge handwritten imperial leishu).
Status/changes: Mostly lost over centuries; only a few hundred volumes survive in libraries; digitisation projects exist for surviving sections. It was the world’s largest premodern encyclopedia.
4. Cyclopædia, or an Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences: Ephraim Chambers
Date: 1728 (1st edn).
Origin / Editor: Ephraim Chambers (England).
Format: early two-volume English cyclopaedia; influenced later encyclopedias (including Diderot).
Significance: One of the first modern English general encyclopedias; precursor/inspiration for the Encyclopédie.
5. Encyclopédie (Diderot & d’Alembert) — France
Date: 1751–1772 (main text 17 vols + 11 plates; later supplements).
Editors: Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d’Alembert (principal editors).
Structure/vols: 17 text volumes + 11 volumes of plates in first major edition; later supplements and the massive Encyclopédie méthodique expansion.
Notable: Enlightenment landmark — editorial model of named contributors, systematic aim to “change the way people think.”
6. Encyclopædia Britannica (modern history & 15th edn structure)
First published: 1768 (Edinburgh).
Founders / early editors: started in Edinburgh by partners (e.g., Colin Macfarquhar, Andrew Bell; later William Smellie edited early edns).
Major modern change: 15th edition (reorganised), large rework begun 1974; the 15th was later structured into Micropædia (short articles), Macropædia (in-depth articles) and Propædia (outline). final 15th edition structure commonly cited as Micropædia 12 vols + Macropædia 17 vols + Propædia 1 vol (with index vols depending on printing). The 15th re-organization (and later 1985 revision) is important in LIS as an example of multi-part structure.
Status: Britannica ceased regular print new editions (final print runs around 2010; company moved to online publishing) — this change is examined in LIS as a major shift from print to online reference.
7. Brockhaus (Conversations-Lexikon → Brockhaus Enzyklopädie) Germany
First published: origins 1796–1808 (Conversations-Lexikon).
Publisher: F. A. Brockhaus (later editions as Brockhaus Enzyklopädie).
Vols/changes: Long edition history; 21st edition (2005) in ~30 vols. Transitioned to digital/online; print distribution wound down after mid-2000s.
8. Encyclopaedia Americana
First publish: 1829 (Francis Lieber initiated first Americana; first edition completed c. 1833).
Origin / Editor: Francis Lieber (German-American scholar); subsequent editorial regimes and major editions (notably early 20th century and 1918–20 30-vol International edn).
Later publisher: Grolier (later Scholastic after acquisitions).
Format: at times a 30-volume print set (major editions). Final print edition released 2006; product later consolidated into Scholastic/online services.
9. Grand Dictionnaire Universel (Larousse) Pierre Larousse / Larousse publishing
Date: main edition 1866–1876 (Grand dictionary 15 vols + supplements).
Publisher: Éditions Larousse (France).
Type: encyclopedic dictionary / national French reference; many later Larousse derived works (Petit Larousse etc.) still important in French LIS.
10. World Book Encyclopedia (school/home encycLopedia)
First published: 1917 (U.S.).
Publisher: World Book, Inc. (Chicago).
Format: started 8 vols (1917), evolved to annually revised multi-volume sets (modern editions ~22 vols). Widely used in schools; still produced in print plus online editions.
11. Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia / Compton’s by Britannica
First published: 1922 (Compton’s Pictured Encyclopedia).
Publisher / ownership: F. E. Compton & Co.; acquired by Encyclopædia Britannica (1961).
Volumes: various print sizes across editions (8 → 26 vols by 1974 etc.). Produced school/home editions and multimedia CD-ROM versions later.
12. Encyclopaedia of the Social Sciences
Date: published 1930–1935 (initially) — a major multi-volume scholarly encyclopaedia in social sciences.
Publisher / eds: Macmillan; editors included leading social scientists of the period (project important historically for social science reference).
13. Collier’s Encyclopedia
Date: first issued 1950–51 (U.S.).
Publisher: P. F. Collier & Son → later ownership changes (Macmillan, Atlas/DeAgostini).
Volumes/editions: originally 20 vols, expanded to 24 vols by 1962; last print edn 1997, content later licensed into Microsoft Encarta (1998).
14. Encyclopedia of Library and Information Science (ELIS) — (subject encyclopedia for LIS)
First edition: started 1968 (multi-volume, successive fascicles). First edn 1968–2003 in many volumes (often cited as vols 1–73 in original run).
Editors / publishers: Allen Kent, Harold Lancour, Jay E. Daily (editors), Marcel Dekker (NY) was the original publisher.
Later editions: 2nd ed. (Miriam A. Drake, 2003 — 4 vols + supplement); 3rd ed. (Marcia J. Bates & Mary Niles Maack, 2010 — 7 vols); 4th ed. (John D. McDonald & Michael Levine-Clark, 2017 — 7 vols). ELIS is the principal subject encyclopedia cited in LIS curricula everywhere.
15. McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology (subject encyclopedia)
Focus: science & technology (reference for students & libraries).
Editions: multiple editions (9th, 11th etc); 11th edn (2012) was a large multi-volume set (~20 vols). Widely used in technical libraries.
16. Microsoft Encarta (digital multimedia encyclopedia)
Date / run: 1993–2009 (CD-ROM and online).
Publisher: Microsoft.
Significance for LIS: classic example of the multimedia / CD-ROM era encyclopedia; discontinued in 2009 as the Web changed reference habits.
17. Wikipedia (modern collaborative encyclopedia)
Launch: 15 January 2001 (grew rapidly thereafter).
Model / status: free, wiki-based, volunteer-authored, continuously updated online encyclopedia — huge reach; LIS teaching discusses strengths/weaknesses (accessibility vs. reliability/authority issues). Wikipedia is studied as a new model of reference work and for critical evaluation by librarians.
18. Special / National / Indian examples (of interest in Indian LIS papers)
a) Who’s Who of Indian Martyrs (often referenced as Encyclopaedia / Who’s Who of Indian Martyrs): P. N. Chopra & others
Date: P. N. Chopra’s work and similar multi-volume commemorative reference works on martyrs were issued c. 1969–73; reprints/compilations available later (e.g., archive entries). Such works are cited in Indian reference sources lists and sometimes appear in syllabus/past papers.
Editions /Major changes, quick summary (for quick memorization)
Britannica: reorganised into 15th edn structure (Micropædia/Macropædia/Propædia) in the 1970s; moved largely to online publishing; last printed editions early 21st century.
Encyclopedia Americana: began 1829 (Lieber) evolved to 30-vol major edn (1918–20) final print 2006, moved online.
Collier’s: last print 1997; content licensed to Microsoft (Encarta) 1998.
Brockhaus: transitioned from print to digital after 2005–2006; print distribution largely ended by 2014.
ELIS (Encyclopedia of Library & Info Sci): multi-edition lifecycle 1968–2003 (first edn, many vols) → 2003 (2nd, 4 vols) → 2010 (3rd, 7 vols) → 2017 (4th, 7 vols) shows how a subject encyclopedia evolves with the discipline.
Encyclopedias that commonly appear in LIS / UGC-NET / competitive exam Qs (quick list)
(These are frequent in previous year papers / study guides, good to memorize for exam MCQs.)
- Encyclopaedia Britannica (often cited as a standard).
- Encyclopedia Americana.
- Collier’s Encyclopedia.
- World Book Encyclopedia (school/home reference).
- Compton’s (children’s/school).
- Brockhaus (German) and Larousse (French): national/European examples.
- McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology (subject encyclopedia, often used in technical library questions).
- Encyclopedia of Library & Information Science (ELIS), must-know for LIS students (editors & edition history often asked).
- Encarta (as example of multimedia/digital encyclopedia history, now discontinued)
Quick exam-style mnemonics (one-liners)
ABCs of encyclopedias = Americana, Britannica, Collier’s (the big U.S. three historically).
ELIS chronology = Kent/Lancour/Daily (orig. editors, 1968–2003, 73 vols), Drake (2nd, 2003, 4 vols), Bates & Maack (3rd, 2010, 7 vols), McDonald & Levine-Clark (4th, 2017, 7 vols).
Sources / further reading (picked items I used)
- EPGPathshala (module on Reference Sources / Encyclopedias).
- eGyanKosh (Unit: Encyclopaedias definitions, role).
- Encyclopædia Britannica (Britannica entry; 15th-edn structure discussion).
- Encyclopedia of Library and Information Sciences (Wikipedia + CRC/Taylor & Francis pages — edition history).
- Encyclopedia Americana (history & 2006 final print edition).
- World Book, Collier’s, Compton’s, McGraw-Hill, Brockhaus, Larousse, Encarta (individual encyclopedia pages / Britannica / Wikipedia entries).
- Yongle Dadian (Britannica / LOC pages on the 1408 imperial encyclopedia).
- “Who’s Who of Indian Martyrs” / Indian compilations (archive & library holdings).
- Past papers / solved UGC NET / KVS / Librarian exam resources mentioning encyclopedias.