When was the last time you used an actual encyclopedia?

February 6, 2010 at 7:30 pm · Filed under Geek Culture & Tech

The last time I did was sometime in university, when we were not allowed to use websources for a certain paper. I did get most of my sources online anyway (from articles that came sourced), but I found it really lame.

That’s why I cracked up when I saw this image:

When was the last time you used an encyclopedia?






  • Stephen

    As a kid the two things I would look at when I was in my Grandfathers living room, his encyclopedias and his bible that had pictures

  • http://oeliwat.jeeran.com Ola

    I can’t even remember!

  • http://joycefied.wordpress.com almondjoycie

    When we were young, parents invested in their children’s education by getting them a set of encyclopedias. They would make monthly payments until they were paid in full. I remember that they were expensive.

    These days parents buy their children computers. I wish we had a set of encyclopedias, even an old one. It was wonderful having all of that information contained on one bookshelf.

  • http://hamdanism.wordpress.com Hamdanism

    Lmao !! like never in my life !! long live the internet ! I still read novels tho

  • Chris

    Haven’t for a long time, but I have a set in a closet somewhere. So, thanks for the reminder! There’s nothing quite like having informative words rubbing against your fingertips.

  • http://one-ugly-duckling.blogspot.com Duckling

    I sometimes use it to look at maps if i wanna know where some cities are located, I find it easier than looking at the monitor.
    Other than that I occasionally use them as a mouse pad when mine is lost :) only cuz they are stacked in front of me (for decorative purposes) I just pick one up and use it, very handy ;)
    oh yeah i also use them for structural purposes but that’s a whole different story that I won’t get into here :$

  • http://andfaraway.net Roba

    Stephen, there are bibles with pictures? I didn’t know that!

    almondjoycie, WOW, loans for encyclopedias? That’s kind of sad! Poor parents, it’s much cheaper to buy a netbook :)

    Hamdanism, yeah I know, me neither. Books are different :) I’m reading tons of PDF books too though. are you?

    Chris, the problem with encyclopedias in that they’re never that informative! You spend an hour looking for something to find a small paragraph about a major event or character. So frustrating!

    Duckling, 3ad it’s so much easier looking at maps online! :) and there’s someone else using encyclopedias for structural purposes :P

  • http://andfaraway.net Roba

    Ola, they’re needless these days anyway :)

  • http://hamdanism.wordpress.com Hamdanism

    @ Roba:

    I read PDFs, only technical stuff, because I work in IT, and I don’t buy IT books. Other than that, novels I always read hard copies.

  • http://www.kinziblogs.wordpress.com kinzi

    I make my kids use our encyclopedias all the time…BEFORE wiki. I do, too.

    (We should show you all our kid bibles, illustrations, water colors, even cartoon versions. Gotta make God a little fun for the littlest sheep.)

  • Chris

    Yep, your right, they are pretty lame. So, yada yada yada, in the recycle bin they shall go.

  • http://andfaraway.net Roba

    haha, no usethem as decor man!

  • Chris

    LOL! I have enough decor already! btw, feel free to put that line in your back pocket. Bust it out on me if somehow get ornery. Example: Chris, yada yada yada, ok. :D

  • http://bagoftreats.blogspot.com Amina

    Sometime in Middle School. I think!

    Our school was never the kind to ask us to write reports or do presentations, so the only time i browsed through an encyclopedia was during my free time. It was only ever used to kill time in our house really, along with the tens of dictionary’s we owned.

  • http://7akifadi.com 7aki Fadi

    I was JUST thinking about that while I was driving to work today. I was thinking how much I enjoyed ours when I was younger and thought I should buy one for the kids and then I was like, but , the internet is here.
    Reading out of an encyclopedia is such a nice feeling, I miss it. Too bad that by the time you print it the current facts and events in it have already changed.