Britannica donates children’s encyclopedias to S’pore public libraries

Singapore — Encyclopaedia Britannica announced that it had donated copies of its new one-volume children’s encyclopedia to the National Library Board of Singapore (NLB), making the “richly illustrated” book readily available to curious minds.

The Britannica All New Kids Encyclopedia, which was edited by world history author Christopher Lloyd, contains 424 pages packed with facts and information from the experts at Encyclopaedia Britannica.

Unlike old encyclopedias that were structured from A–Z, this one has a narrative arc, telling the story of the world from the beginning of time to the present day and even glimpsing into the future, said Britannica in a press release.

For centuries, Britannica was known for printing encyclopedias before pivoting to global curriculum and digital solutions publishing.

The multi-volume Encyclopaedia Britannica was ceased in 2012, with the company instituting a new, limited program of print publications in part as a way of helping to bridge the “digital divide” and reach students around the world who don’t have reliable online access.

“NLB is delighted to receive the generous donation of the newly published Britannica children’s encyclopaedia, which will be a valued information source for our patrons,” said Ms Chow Wun Han, NLB’s Acting Director of Collection Planning and Development.

 

“This gift will help further our mission in enriching our collections for young readers,”

“Britannica is thrilled to support the National Library Board of Singapore to promote the reading habits of our younger learners and establish the foundation for lifelong learning,” said Theodore Pappas, executive editor of Encyclopaedia Britannica.

“Our children’s encyclopedia is a wonderful book for early learners, for sparking their curiosity about the wonders of the world, both big and small, and for readers in areas without easy access to the Internet or to new educational resources.”

At the end of each chapter, the children’s encyclopedia features quizzes and interviews with experts, explaining what they love about their job and what they are working to discover at the moment.

Copies of the new, one-volume children’s encyclopedia were donated to NLB, making it available to Singapore’s public libraries and mobile and van-based services. /TISG

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