HollyBee Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I remember just sitting as a child and reading through our set of World Book encyclopedias. I know these suckers are expensive, but does anyone actually have a full set of encyclopedias in their home these days? I don't particularly like the encyclopedias on CD-ROM or online, so I guess that's why I'm even considering such a high-ticket item. I did check Craigslist and found a set of World Books for $325 (2005 edition), which is significantly cheaper than new, but still a pretty penny. So, do you have a set of encyclopedias? If so, do your kids actually USE them? :bigear: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MicheleinMN Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We have two different sets. We got both sets from library sales for about $5 a set. (I think one set might be missing one book out of 20 or so.) HTH Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I love, love, love my encyclopedia collection. World Book, New Book of Knowledge, Columbia, and my new favorite specialty The Human Rights Encyclopedia. I have been so lucky, pinch me I'm dreaming lucky, to get the sets I have. In the past I only had many, many old, broken sets. If you have enough sets, a few missing volumes here and there are not such a big deal. I don't own a couch, or a real bed, and only have a folding card table and an office chair for a dining room set, but I have an encyclopedia set to die for, and I sit in the middle of the floor with my piles of books, happy as a little clam :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We do. The set belongs to my dh and he brought it with him when we got married. They are from the 60's and are so amazingly outdated, but he loves them because of how his family saved up to buy the set back when they were new and so expensive. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RachelFlores Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 My parents were given an old set when I was a kid. We would look up computers sometimes and laugh at the entry, we sometimes used them for information on animals, but that was about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I would LOVE to have a set of encyclopedias!! I am always looking for a good set on CL or ebay, because they are expensive, and I wonder if I would be the only one to appreciate them. :glare: But I have the same memories as a kid, reading through every volume of the world book encyclopedias and also the childcraft set that we had. I was so bummed that my mom didn't save them. I know we can look it all up online or even read the encyclopedias at the library, but it just isn't the same!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChicoryChick Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We were given a set of World Book from the 80's. My kids loves to look at them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H_Household Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We don't have a full set of encyclopedias but what we do have are the Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedias. We use the World History and Science books to go along with our memory work from Classical Conversations. We read the pages and then look up interesting websites from the Usborne book. They are wonderful in that the websites links are found online so they are more likely to be current. Good luck finding what works best for your family! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I got my 2005 World Book full set, in like new condition, for $61.00 and that included the shipping :-0 I couldn't believe it when they arrived as advertised. I've had them for about a month now and I still can't quite believe the deal I got! :-) My best friend's mom gave me $50.00 for Christmas and I went online and was looking for an old, broken set, and...well...there they were! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanna1949 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I've seen sets at Goodwill, Salvation Army, and the like. Just keep your eyes open. And yes, library used book sales are good sources too. But I never thought I wanted to have that many books on my already-sagging bookshelves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelli Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 My kids LOVE to just get a volume down and look through it! We got our set about two weeks ago. Our local library was switching out their 2002 set of World Books for a newer set, so I was able to purchase the old set for $20. Best part--they don't even look like they've been opened :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyb Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I did some research and found that many people prefer to use the older ones because they are less politically correct. I have heard you can give your name to the library and when they update their set they’ll sell the old set for close to nothing. Half Price sells sets for $20 a piece. They keep them up high with the intention of selling them for decoration only. I went to 2 stores and looked through all the sets they had. It was great because I compared the different publishers and versions and decided which I really wanted. I ended up buying a 1994 World Book set. We love it. Obviously, there is no current history in them, but the history that is in them hasn’t changed. It is my understanding that most libraries offer free access to online encyclopedias. I would think using the online info with the older print encyclopedia is plenty enough. That is my plan anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenni Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We have a set from a library book sale, and we love them! I was thrilled to find the set for $5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 A question for you gals who own a set from the 90's... Are the photos mostly in color or were they mostly black and white with some color? Just curious. Thanks. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 A question for you gals who own a set from the 90's... Are the photos mostly in color or were they mostly black and white with some color? Just curious. Thanks. :)Our 1996 WB has a lot of both color and b&w. I don't know what the breakdown is but there is plenty of color. My dc love to read it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ibbygirl Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Our 1996 WB has a lot of both color and b&w. I don't know what the breakdown is but there is plenty of color. My dc love to read it! That's nice. I wish our set had more color photographs, but they are mostly black and white. It's so weird though to read through them and see how much has changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I have a full set from the 60's. My maternal Grandfather bought the set and a bookcase came with it. He died when I was 4. I remember spending most of my time as a child/early teen pouring over them. The books were lost when my parents divorced. My Mom gave the bookcase to me about 10 years ago. My sister found the same set (world Book) from the same year at Salvation Army for $14. I cried when she gave them to me. I temporarily gave the bookcase and books back to my Mom when we moved out of state. I couldn't bear the thought of them getting damaged or lost. So until we "settle down" in one place long term my neices and nephews get to enjoy them when they visit. Right now we have the Usborne Encyclopedias. Much prefer them to the internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 It is extremely interesting to compare articles from different decades, especially on topics like "family" and "marriage" and "Bible". Having access to an older set along with newer ones is a valuable reference resource. I read a book on learning to research, and that is where I learned about the Columbia Encyclopedia which the author raved about and insisted every home should own, for it's examples of good writing, as well as a reference resource. The Columbia is just one very large volume and only republished every decade or so. I consider it a must have now too after I have gotten used to having it. World Book's outlines are indespensible to me in lesson planning. The outlines for topics like "American Literature" or "Music" are often all I need to use as a scope and sequence. I use SOW and Bedell as my main curricula so I really need reference books at home. My library does not offer access to a major online encyclopedia. On busy days, I just read the Bedell lesson and call it a day, but on slower days I always spend some time looking the topic up in my encyclopedias. Without paid online subscriptions, online reasources are just not enough for me, and I like the feel of a book, and then I always end out browsing a topic I never would have thought of before. I find that times in my life when I had a good encyclopedia collection, I felt less need to hoard other types of books. It's like purchasing a new good white shirt and a pair of khakies. Suddenly you don't need your purple, green and pink pants and yellow, orange and tie dye shirts anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Our library had a bunch of volumes of the World Book Encyclopedia at its annual giveaway last fall. I had to mix & match because there was no complete set (mostly 2005 but some 2004 and a few 2006). Also, I could not find a "R" volume. When the next giveaway rolls around, I'm going to see if I can snag a "R" and also which volumes I can trade out for more recent years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnandtinagilbert Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Yes :) and I make them use them Before they're allowed to use the Internet....:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I did some research and found that many people prefer to use the older ones because they are less politically correct. That's a funny way to put it. Some people might find the not politically correct entries to be offensive or inaccurate. :001_huh: Anyhoo, I recently saw a set at a library book sale, it would have cost about $5. I think they were from the late 80s. I didn't buy them because I just don't have the space and am not sure I would use them. I did find some great old dictionaries and other neat reference books. A good library book sale is truly fantastic. Elsewhere I bought a set of old Golden Book encyclopedias (for kids). My kids are young, though. The volumes are a manageable size. I've looked a few things up in them recently; we looked up Thomas Edison to get a list of his inventions and we looked up the Vikings to see a picture of their ship. I am a huge reference book fan who always wanted them while growing up. I am not sure if an encyclopedia set is in my future, but who knows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mryann Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I bought a 2008 set in 2009 at a used book sale for the library. They cost $50. That was the year that we did Sonlight's Core 5 (where the encyclopedia online is used) and they were so much easier than the online version. My kids use them all. the. time. Just last night, my son brought the encyclopedia to me - he was using the letters in his name to spell out greek and roman gods/goddesses. I'm sure that both of my boys have read every entry connected to airplanes and World Wars. They have been worth every penny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amydavis Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Yes. We got our set, which is a couple of years old, at a library sale. I highly suggest buying them that way. The sets were much cheaper than I had seen on CL or Ebay. I think it's important for kids to learn how to look up things the "old fashioned way." I also think it's nice that they can sit and browse through them the way I did as a kid. Oh, and I also love how they look on the bookshelf...:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We have a set that I bought at a charity shop - it's from the mid-eighties. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Yes we have a 2006 World Book set, purchased in 2008. I found a great library/school dealer on eBay. We do use them even with internet access;). My ds almost always has one or two in his room. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We do, we do! Both my kids like to sit and look at the "picture books". :) We got ours off of Craigslist for $20; they're from the 90's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I have a 2005 World Book set I purchased from the library for $25.00. It just beautiful. Growing up I always wanted a set! Adrianne in IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I need to go ask our librarian to LMK if/when they decide to sell their set. :001_smile: I know my kids would look through them if we had them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetTN Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We were given a full set of Children's Britannica by our library. It has a 'for sale' section, and our librarian will call us if she sees anything come across that we might be able to use. She's the greatest! And yes, we use it a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoVanGogh Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We bought our set at a garage sale several years ago for $5. They are from 1978 - but brand new condition. My son loves them! In fact, we have one volume out right now to do a mini report on owls in school today. We also have a set of "technology and applied science" encyclopedias that we bought at my mom's library for $5 and had shipped home for $12. The library my mom works at got rid of their research room last year to turn it into a teen media room. :glare: They had many more encyclopedias they were selling, but we were limited in what we wanted to ship home. I also snagged a nice set of encyclopedias at our library last year and gave to a friend. I was standing in line to check out and a gentleman ahead of me asked the librarian if he could donate a set to the library. They told him no and he started arguing with her about it being a shame that they didn't want/need the set. So I approached him and asked if he was interested in selling them to me. He said he was so tickled that I would want them that he would give them to me. :D You can normally find them cheap at used library book sales or used book stores. I would always keep a set, even if on-line research becomes the accepted norm. My son will start out looking up, say, owls and spend an hour reading about the national park system, navigation, New Brunswick, oaks and the opera on his way to the owl section. THAT is the value in having encyclopedias. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blakereese Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 My son will start out looking up, say, owls and spend an hour reading about the national park system, navigation, New Brunswick, oaks and the opera on his way to the owl section. THAT is the value in having encyclopedias. :iagree::iagree: I did the same thing as a child. I learned all kinds of things just because of the letter it started with. :lol: I'd be doing a report on rabbits and by the time the afternoon was over, I had learned about all kinds of things that started with R. I don't want my kids to miss out on that. We have several of the usborne encyclopedias, and other reference books...but I still want to have a set of encyclopedias on the shelf. Especially if I can get a great deal like many of you have. I'm on the lookout! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mothergooseof4 Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 A friend at church gave me her full set. Her kids are all grown and she didn't want to store them anymore. She comes toting them in to me one day without even asking if I wanted them. They were in perfect condition, but I do all research online so at the time, I was not really interested in them. A bit later, I had oldest ds start using them to do research. I then realized how useful they are and pulled them out of their box and placed them on the school room shelves. He uses them quite frequently and though he doesn't care for them, he has definitely learned some great skills and information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We have two different sets. We got both sets from library sales for about $5 a set. (I think one set might be missing one book out of 20 or so.) HTH :iagree: Every time our library has a sale, there's a set of encyclopedias for super cheap. I almost grabbed the set last time, but I'm out of book shelf space. I think they're nice to have on hand because I don't always like my kids surfing the net for research and wikipedia facts are sometimes questionable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HollyBee Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 Wow, thanks everyone! It's encouraging to see that so many people still have these. I'm also going to be on the lookout at the library sales and goodwill. Obviously, the craigslist listing is not the best price I should be able to find! I have a complete set of the Great Books published by the Encyclopedia Britannica--now that is wonderful! They're so pretty that I actually use them to decorate my family room! (We pull them off to read sometimes too!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooblink Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Wow, thanks everyone! It's encouraging to see that so many people still have these. I'm also going to be on the lookout at the library sales and goodwill. Obviously, the craigslist listing is not the best price I should be able to find! I have a complete set of the Great Books published by the Encyclopedia Britannica--now that is wonderful! They're so pretty that I actually use them to decorate my family room! (We pull them off to read sometimes too!) I've got those too, bought through Craigslist for $100. Love 'em. I was also blessed with a full set of Harvard Classics when someone from our church was moving and didn't want to take them. :) I love the way those sets look on the shelves - and we use them, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 We have the old set from my family's library (early 70s). We use them weekly to look things up. Right now I know a family who is giving away their (60's?) version. You can sometimes find older parents who are downsizing willing to give away a set to a "good family." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
In The Great White North Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I have a set, free from the dump, of World Book Encyclopedias. They are the same vintage as the ones I had growing up. Ds did actually sit and read through them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I gave my childhood set away a couple of weeks ago actually. But I kept a volume for sentimentality. The kids just weren't using them, I wasn't using them and I began to feel that they were pointless and taking up a lot of room. It's cool that so many people still have and enjoy them though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoyfulMama Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I read a book on learning to research, and that is where I learned about the Columbia Encyclopedia which the author raved about and insisted every home should own, for it's examples of good writing, as well as a reference resource. The Columbia is just one very large volume and only republished every decade or so. I consider it a must have now too after I have gotten used to having it. We have an old Columbia Encyclopedia, and I love it (except for the small type)! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 The Columbia is different. It's not just shorter as in not as good. It's not even just shorter. It's more like a unique dictionary/encyclopedia hybrid that truly DEFINES a subject, where an encyclopedia EXPLAINS and a dictionary is a CONCISE definition. It's in a class of it's own with no real competition. Maybe someone else can explain it better, but that is the best I can do. The reading level is a lot higher than World Book, NBK, or Compton, so it's not ideal for K-8, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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