mommy4ever Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I was looking for a set of encyclopedias. World book or britannica. Not much out there to choose from, as most people use the internet now. I don't want the kids to be so reliant on the internet. Anyway, how old is too old? No older than last 10 years? 20 years? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 I was looking for a set of encyclopedias. World book or britannica. Not much out there to choose from, as most people use the internet now. I don't want the kids to be so reliant on the internet. Anyway, how old is too old? No older than last 10 years? 20 years? Thanks! Have you checked your library? Our library carries a copy of the World Book and we get free links to various websites through our school so I did not find a reason to spend the money for something that will take up so much space. I buy the Usborne Internet Linked books a lot and will be starting with some Kingfisher also but I don't think that helps you :tongue_smilie:. Anyway, giving you a bump. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy4ever Posted March 17, 2011 Author Share Posted March 17, 2011 We don't get to the library as much as we'd like, it's hard when you have 3 under 3 as well. I'd love to have a great reference set here. I have a few of the KF and Usborne, but they are very specific, the World Book or Britannica are general. It would give them a start on anything they want to research, and branch from that. I just don't know. I saw one with all the year books up to 2005, so not too bad. They will take room, I agree, but I have a bunch of novels that I've had for 10 years that I've never re-read. What is the worst thing that will happen if i let them go? I'll have to borrow from the library. I'd rather have a great tool, that novels collecting dust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) You have three little ones under three! Yikes! Yah, it would be difficult getting to the library :). This was why I mentioned subscriptions. We have free subscriptions from our school for that (hmm... something I need to investigate with new schools). We have the World Book and a whole bunch of others. We also have BrainPop, Discovery Education Streaming Canada (I didn't even remember this one otherwise I would have been using it) and the list goes on. Don't you have anything like that from your school? I know you said you prefer it not be over the Internet but at least this way you get updated information. I had an old Britannica that my father bought for us in the 70's and gave it away before moving back to Canada. It was way... too old to be useful :tongue_smilie:. Edited March 18, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 This topic comes up about once a week. I think there is a thread about 3 days ago? I strongly advocate hard copies of encyclopedias. Children and adults will READ them when they are hard bound. Multiple, overlapping old broken sets are okay to start with. Eventually full, newer sets will fall into your lap. Then you can use the old sets for clip art to illustrate projects. I never worry about the year books. Not much gets updated each year. I just automatically look up certain kinds of material in a current almanac or online. Ants, trees, motion, magnets, vitamin C, stay the same from decade to decade. Populations, computers and NASA change, from year to year. You will know what to look up in an old set, and what to look up online. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 (edited) This topic comes up about once a week. I think there is a thread about 3 days ago? I strongly advocate hard copies of encyclopedias. Children and adults will READ them when they are hard bound. OK, first of all I just wanted to clarify that I was not looking to start a debate :D. What I strongly advocate for is for whatever works in each family. In my family we are pro print on some things and pro digital on others. But that is irrelevant here since my goal was not to convince the OP one way or the other. The only reason why I posted was because I know the OP a little and also know that she is in Canada (as I am) and figured there may be other alternatives that she may not have considered that may not cost her anything right now. Anyway, I am sure the OP understood my intentions. Edited March 18, 2011 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 We have a set of..hmm, 1985 World Book in pristine condition that we picked up for $10 at our local homeschool store (used of course). Well worth it :). Ever since I found my daughter looking up "Vikings" after reading a historical fiction easy-chapter book, I've been SO sold on hard copy encyclopedias. Children can get them out to look at pictures, read them, do research whenever they want - even when you are on the computer ;). Demographics change...always. Political boundaries also change. A good atlas will cover those off for you. But the general knowledge in an encyclopedia doesn't generally change much over time. If you can find a set used at a good price, enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rootsnwings Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 I actually picked up a set of Collier's from the 1959 + the yearbooks for years 60-65 for free on Craigslist a few months ago!! They're old but they are in pristine condition and cover all but the most recent history and science material (from 1966-present). We also have the Usborne IL History & UIL Science Encyclopedias; a combination which is working great for us right now. I love having the hard-copy encyclopedias though, and want my children to learn how to research using books, not only the computer. We use the ILs in the Usborne encyclopedias for enrichment activities, mostly. We don't call Wikipedia a resource for schoolwork. ;) So anyway, check CRAIGSLIST! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 ...We use the ILs in the Usborne encyclopedias for enrichment activities, mostly. We don't call Wikipedia a resource for schoolwork. :confused: I'm sorry, are you saying that the Usborne Internet Links are links to Wikipedia? Because none of mine are! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wee Pip Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Call your library and ask if they ever get rid of a set of encyclopedias:) My library system seems to get a new set every 2-3 years (?) and then will give the older sets away for a small $10 donation. I just got a set of 2005 encyclopedias and we can tell that some of the books have never even been opened! The sets probably go fast, so you want to get that word out to your librarian to keep you in mind if they get rid of a set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy4ever Posted March 18, 2011 Author Share Posted March 18, 2011 This topic comes up about once a week. I think there is a thread about 3 days ago? I strongly advocate hard copies of encyclopedias. Children and adults will READ them when they are hard bound. Multiple, overlapping old broken sets are okay to start with. Eventually full, newer sets will fall into your lap. Then you can use the old sets for clip art to illustrate projects. I never worry about the year books. Not much gets updated each year. I just automatically look up certain kinds of material in a current almanac or online. Ants, trees, motion, magnets, vitamin C, stay the same from decade to decade. Populations, computers and NASA change, from year to year. You will know what to look up in an old set, and what to look up online. Thank you for that! I would have searched, but the search hasn't worked for me in a couple days, I keep getting an error. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 If you go to the World Book website you can probably get a new set that is a few years old for far less than a new one would be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 18, 2011 Share Posted March 18, 2011 Thank you for that! I would have searched, but the search hasn't worked for me in a couple days, I keep getting an error. Hope this helps you get started :-) http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=242092&highlight=encyclopedias http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=102897&highlight=encyclopedias http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52370&highlight=encyclopedias http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38065&highlight=encyclopedias http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42399&highlight=encyclopedias http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18155&highlight=encyclopedias Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommy4ever Posted March 20, 2011 Author Share Posted March 20, 2011 I ended up picking the set up. There was a full set of 1990 encyclopedias. As well there were year books up to 2004, and science yearbooks to 1996. $30. They are like new, no damage, and we had a perfectly good spot to put them, accessible to the kids, but tidy and safely away from the little people. The kids were already digging them out to read. I have plans for these..lol. I'm thrilled to have found them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hunter Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Congratulations! Children who have encyclopedias usually love them. Bill Gates loved his set as a child :-) Don't stop with just one set, if you have room. New Book of Knowledge and Comptons are both very good sets too, and easy to read. As they get older add Columbia (1 large volume) and Britannica. Also keep an eye out for specialty sets. My boys also collected math books for reference. They used them just like encyclopedias when they didn't like how their main textbook explained something. They filled a shelf under the The New Book of Knowledge set. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnMomof7 Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 I ended up picking the set up. ... The kids were already digging them out to read. Have fun! :party: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 20, 2011 Share Posted March 20, 2011 Glad you found what you were looking for and at a great price :). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.