[books] Bibliocide … a writer burns his mouldy set of Encyclopaedia Britannica encyclopaedias and reflects upon it …

In that respect, my encyclopædic blaze symbolised the benefits of creative destruction. Britannica stood for a time when access to information was limited, and largely determined by money. The magnificence of the collection was deeply connected to the fact that they were exclusive, expensively produced objects. We might well miss the smell of the leather binding, the crisp sound of flicking through their thin pages, the gravitas that the sheer 4lb weight of each volume suggested. But if what was on those pages mattered most, we must believe that these losses are more than outweighed by the freedom for anyone with an internet connection to access the same content and more at little or no cost. A world of valuable books behind the closed doors of a privileged minority cannot be preferable to one of invaluable information available through the open door of a web browser.

What It’s Like To Burn A Collection Of Encyclopaedia Britannica

This entry was posted on Friday, May 31st, 2013 at 9:11 am and is filed under Books.

« The Conservative Party Insult Generator The Highgate Vampire »