Iconic global brand has adapted to changes in consumer
behavior, medium and business model shifts by embracing change,
breaking boundaries and exhibiting organizational learning
agility
CHICAGO, Dec. 6, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Encyclopaedia
Britannica will celebrate 250 years of continuous operation on
Monday, December 10.
The anniversary also coincides with the 25th
anniversary of Britannica Online
(eb.com), the first encyclopedia on the Internet and one of the
first major publications on the World Wide Web.
Britannica's two-and-a-half-century journey began on an
out-of-the-way street in Edinburgh,
Scotland, in 1768, when the encyclopedia's founding
publishers, Andrew Bell, an
engraver, and Colin Macfarquhar, a
printer, hired scholar William
Smellie to be Britannica's first editor and set him to work
producing a practical reference work founded on the principle of
"Utility," with a goal of making knowledge available to the masses
in a world where Latin was the language of intellectuals.
On December 10, 1768, a small
section of the first volume of the encyclopedia was published. What
would eventually be a three-volume set was released piecemeal over
three years, concluding in 1771. The founders supported the project
through the 18th-century equivalent of a crowdfunding
campaign.
From there Britannica expanded to a 10-volume second edition
beginning in 1777, and over the course of the 19th
century and several new editions it would grow both in size and
reputation to become one of the most trusted sources of information
across the world.
Long known for multivolume print encyclopedias, Britannica has,
for the past four decades, been a leader in digital media,
publishing the first digital encyclopedia in 1981, the first
multimedia encyclopedia in 1989 (four years before Microsoft
Encarta), and the first encyclopedia on the Internet. The company's
publications have been primarily digital since the 1990s. Its
iconic print set ceased publication in 2012.
Dan Brown's words in his novel
"Origin" capture Britannica's ability to learn, adapt and
evolve:
"The fax machine has gone the way
of the dodo bird," Edmond explained. "And the iPhone will survive
only if it keeps outperforming its competition. Typewriters and
steam engines died in changing environments, but the
Encyclopaedia Britannica evolved, its cumbersome
thirty-two-volume set sprouting digital feet and, like the
lungfish, expanding into uncharted territory, where it now
thrives."
"Today, Britannica is focused on inspiring curiosity and the joy
of learning both inside and outside the classroom, helping people
cut through the clutter and find better information in the digital
universe and transforming learning within schools," said
Karthik Krishnan, global CEO of the
Encyclopaedia Britannica Group.
The company focuses on two main markets: casual and curious
learners (consumer) and K-12 education (B2B and ed
tech). Britannica generates subscription and
advertising revenues from a diverse set of digital products
leveraging its core verified data sources and proprietary semantic
technology that surfaces unique relationships and uncommon
insights.
"Britannica has a presence in 83 countries and reaches 150
million students on the institutional side. On the consumer front,
Britannica and our Merriam-Webster subsidiary generate over five
billion page views a year across all platforms, making it a top-ten
digital destination in the general reference category," said
Krishnan.
"Our mission, to provide verified information in engaging
formats to inspire curiosity and the joy of leaning, is more vital
today than ever. With proactive misinformation flooding the digital
world, now more than ever truth needs champions. Britannica is
committed to helping people cut through the clutter though
initiatives such as Britannica Insights, Britannica School
Insights, Demystified and our partnership with YouTube to fight
conspiracy theories. Britannica is also actively working with
schools on digital literacy efforts to prevent knowledge
dilution."
Krishnan said Britannica will conduct a yearlong series of
celebrations, involving students, educators, and the public in
forums, civic events and online activities, beginning with
"Curiosity Day" which will kick off on Monday at Jesse White
Learning Academy, in Hazel Crest,
Ill., and Eisenhower Academy, in Joliet, Ill.
"Curiosity Day, December 10 annually, will launch here in
the Chicago area, with the goal of
making it a global, grassroots movement. We will encourage people
to 'learn something new and share something new.' With today's
alarming trend – smarter phones and weaker minds – Curiosity Day is
designed to rekindle an innate human trait that helps us break
boundaries and progress. Particularly in a world where humans have
to compete more and more with sophisticated machines powered by
artificial intelligence."
The Britannica Anniversary Edition, published to commemorate the
anniversary, includes interesting insights from its past and
present and perspectives on the future from leading scholars,
writers and thinkers from the 18th century to today. The volume is
a testament to human progress – how far we have come and how far we
go from here.
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has proclaimed December 10, 2018 "Encyclopaedia Britannica Day."
"The medium in which we operate may change, but our commitment
to UTILITY remains steadfast and unwavering," said Krishnan.
About the Encyclopaedia Britannica Group
The
Encyclopaedia Britannica Group is a global knowledge leader. A
pioneer in digital learning since the 1980s, the company today
serves the needs of students, lifelong learners, and professionals
by providing curriculum products, language-study courses, digital
encyclopedias, and professional readiness training through its
extensive products.
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