Guest Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 I am wondering if anyone buys encyclopedias anymore - the book kind, not computer programs. If so, what age do you recommend purchasing a set? We are planning on using Tapestry of Grace, so I don't know if that makes a difference at all. ~Monica Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelly in IL Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Used from my library. Call and ask if they have any sets they are updating, check library sales, ask to be put on a list. I got mine for $50. I'm sure that is MUCH CHEAPER than new!! By the way - they were only about 5 years old - most info I need to look up in that kind of reference doesn't get too out of date! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 We use our set here. I purchased a two year old used set and saved a lot. My two 14 & 11 use them regularly. Me, I love em...but I'm a book nut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eve Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 Just wondering..... What kind of encylopedias do you guys use? What are the pros and cons? Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 We have a set of 1999 World Books that I bought at a library sale a few years ago for under $20. I would only buy World Books, so it took me a while to find them. Dc use them to write reports on anything historical, and for background on topics that they also need to find more modern information on (usually science or geography topics.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted July 15, 2008 Share Posted July 15, 2008 of course we pick up sets of encyclopedias!! That way we can build THESE: http://thisintothat.com/gallery/bookcases.html# :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura K (NC) Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 We bought a set from a door-to-door salesman when my oldest was six months old. Fortunately it came with a "My Book House" set, which turned out to be very valuable to us, but the encyclopedias just take up space. It was way too much money and there hasn't been enough use. Our computers all came with World Books, and more often than not we use Wikipedia for quick information, and do so few research papers (that require more than Wiki) that trips to the library to use their encyclopedias are quite doable. I like Peekaboo's bookcase idea. I wonder how they did that? Wrap the covers around pieces of wood? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 I bought a set of World Books (the only kind I'd buy) at our library used book sale for $35. We use them at least 3-4 times a week, sometimes a whole lot more. My two youngest "read" them even before they had learned how to read by putting post-it notes in the pages where their favorite articles were. They just liked looking at the pictures. The rest of us are often pulling them out just for a quick "look up." I think I learned a lot of what I know by reading all the interesting stuff that caught my eye when I was supposed to be reading something else;). All my children learned alphabetical order by my asking them to go retrieve a volume off the shelf and by asking them to look stuff up. You won't get that from wikipedia or an encyclopedia on a CD. I often find one my children curled up in a cozy nook lost in one of the volumes, slowly flipping and reading, flipping and reading. I love that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 of course we pick up sets of encyclopedias!! That way we can build THESE: http://thisintothat.com/gallery/bookcases.html# :D Oh, my, look through all of his galleries! Some of those are hysterical. Clever!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris in VA Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Oh Sweet Mama of Jaysus! (my new saying--think it's too much?) LOVE the bookshelves! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LoveBaby Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 We bought a set of used wold book encyclopedias at our library book sale for $10. They have been more than worth it. They get used lots for reading, looking up stuff and then holding down blankets when the kids make a fort. I'm all for multi-purpose tools around here! LOL ANd since I only paid $10, I'm not following them around every second worried about what they are doing with them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aloha2U Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 I recently purchased a 1991 World Book encyclopedia set left over from a garage sale. I found them on craigslist.org for $15, but I'm also on a list at one of our local libraries to contact if a newer set becomes available - although, I'm not sure how much it matters having an older set especially at this point since we're just starting our HS journey... however, my ds and I already enjoy having this reference resource easily accessible instead of having to boot up the computer all the time. BTW... thanks again OhElizabeth (if you're reading this) for the helpful tips on this matter. Now, I still need to figure out where to put them, LOL! They are neatly divided into two stacks, sitting on the floor in front of my full book shelf and waiting for a home. Melissa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autumndivona Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 I personally hope to find a set. We have some from the 1950's. I'd like to find some on sale (like some of you lucky ladies have!) from the 90's. When I was a child, I LOVED reading our set of encyclopedias. We had World Book and I would come home, do my homework, then just sit and read whatever subjects were of interest to me. We do have a set of "The Harvard Classics", several hardcover books with many classic and important authors, and "The Lincoln Library", a pair of books with a variety of information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in NS Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I am wondering if anyone buys encyclopedias anymore - the book kind, not computer programs. If so, what age do you recommend purchasing a set? We are planning on using Tapestry of Grace, so I don't know if that makes a difference at all. ~Monica I picked up a FREE set of 1993 World Book encyclopedias from my library a few weeks ago - someone donated them. I also picked up a set of free 1970 Encyclopedia Britannica. We look up things all the time. My kids use the World Books for now, but I sometimes use the Britannicas. I just keep searching Kijiji, and have my name at the library, to hopefully work my way up to newer and newer sets as my kids grow. I'm MUCH rather have the books to curl up with. I searched all last year so that we would at least have a set of World Books for when ds started 5th grade. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tibbyl Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 As a child, I cherished the set of World Books my grandfather bought for us. For years they provided entertainment and learning. But as long as you have internet access, I would forego purchasing hard copies of encyclopedias unless you buy used set from library sale. We picked up a nice set of 1997 World Books for $25 at library sale in 2002 or 2003. Honestly, because of the convenience and speed, we first search the internet for encyclopedia articles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I am wondering if anyone buys encyclopedias anymore - the book kind, not computer programs. If so, what age do you recommend purchasing a set? We are planning on using Tapestry of Grace, so I don't know if that makes a difference at all. ~Monica I wouldn't buy a new set. I got a set of World Books at the library for $20.00 and we use it all the time, mostly because the library is so far away. The internet is okay, and I use it quite a bit to find things, but for academic research I think people should know how to use books. To me, they will never be obsolete. Most internet sources (like Wikipedia, for instance) aren't suitable or recommended as sources for research, and the credibility of online sources is questionable, so I don't want my son to get into the habit of thinking that anything he finds on a website is true or useful when he is supposed to be doing a research project. Anyone can write and contribute to a Wikipedia article, so then you've got the added task of verifying the information. Go back in two weeks, and it might not even be there anymore. Encyclopedia articles are written by experts and reviewed by editors. If I hadn't found the deal I did, I would have purchased World Book online or an encyclopedia on CD -- but not a new set of books. That cost would just be too prohibitive. We had an old set of -- hum -- I want to say Encyclopedia Americana from the 50s when I was a kid. I used those beautiful books all the time. I've been thinking about them a lot lately, but didn't want to ask Dad about them -- I was afraid of the answer. Well, he called a few weeks ago and told me he's getting rid of all this "junk" that he's stored for years and years. So I did ask and, of course, those old books are long, long gone. I wish I'd said something earlier. But that is, of course, neither here nor there. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mamagistra Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I believe that I learned more from the fifties era World Book set my parents had than I did in public school. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ticklbee Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 of course we pick up sets of encyclopedias!! That way we can build THESE: http://thisintothat.com/gallery/bookcases.html# :D That is outrageous. Did you actually build one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 of course we pick up sets of encyclopedias!! That way we can build THESE: http://thisintothat.com/gallery/bookcases.html# :D Wow! That's NEET! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kris Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 of course we pick up sets of encyclopedias!! That way we can build THESE: http://thisintothat.com/gallery/bookcases.html# :D "Honey, I need more books." "MORE?!?! books?!?!" "Yeah -- see, I need more books so I have a place to put my books." :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa in Australia Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I bought all my encyclopedias from the second hand shop for $ 10 per set. I have Britannica. children's Britannica. colliers, Australian heritage, and McGraw-Hill science & technology encyclopedia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 That is outrageous. Did you actually build one? not yet :D But I am absolutely convinced my Tim the Toolman dh could do it! I just need to find a suitable set of encyclopedias...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 If I still had dc at home, yes, I'd buy a set. I wouldn't want my dc to be totally dependent on the Internet to be able to research things. And nothing beats sitting in a comfy chair pouring over a book :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sagira Posted August 4, 2008 Share Posted August 4, 2008 I probably will try to get some second hand too, but will also sign up for the software version of Brittanica. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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