Encyclopedia Americana 3.0.Grolier Online. c2002. Online encyclopedia encyclopedia, compendium of knowledge, either general (attempting to cover all fields) or specialized (aiming to be comprehensive in a particular field). Encyclopedias and Other Reference BooksBasically an encyclopedia differs from a dictionary in that a dictionary is fundamentally devoted to words and an encyclopedia offers information on various subjects, with data on and discussion of each subject identified.. Pricing from $228 in combination with other Grolier Online encyclopedias. Call 888-326-6546 for pricing details. (Visit http://go.grolier.com for free 30-day trial.) JSA This newly redesigned online encyclopedia (which is updated quarterly) offers over 45,000 articles, complete with bibliographies and Internet links as well as article-to-article links, along with many new fact boxes, tables, maps, flags and images. There are now four main sections to choose from, accessible from the home page as well as through tabs at the top of each page: the encyclopedia database, which can be searched by word, term, or advanced search, or browsed by subject area, such as Arts, History, or Sports; Profiles; Editors' Picks, and the Americana Journal. The articles are on the brief side but authoritative, suitable for middle school age on up; the search term (information science) search term - An element of a search or query. A search term is the basic building block of a boolean search or a weighted search. In a search engine a search term is typically a word, phrase, or pattern match expression. For example: cosmonaut or "space travel" or astronaut* In a database a term is typically the comparison of a column with a constant or with another column. For example: last_name like 'Smith%' the user selects is helpfully highlighted in red within the article when it pops up. The "Profiles" section offers biographies of "the famous, the infamous, and the highly influential," while the Editors' Picks section provides introductions to research topics, such as Palestine or the Gothic novel, "offering insights, Web sites, and article links." The topics change weekly. The expanded Journal is a terrific feature, consisting of a searchable database of current events, illustrated with AP photos. About 250 news blurbs are added each week, written and edited by Americana staff. Each entry has links to a wide variety of online newspapers and journals, and the Journal can be searched by keyword as well as by date or date range. The "front page" highlights stories of the week, and a Teachers' Guide offers suggestions for classroom use. While the encyclopedia section isn't as comprehensive or as well designed as Encarta's, the Journal section, with its easy access to articles on current events, makes this product well worth considering in both public and school libraries. Paula Rohrlick, KLIATT |
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