Encyclopidias

By luigi_pagano

Fri, 24 Aug 2018
  • 1063 reads
4 comments
 

Repositories of knowledge
and words, sold by
door-to-door salesmen
on the never-never.

Thirty-two volumes
of the Britannica,
the last printed edition
of this iconic
reference work
now replaced
by digital versions.

Relics of a recent past
packed and stored
in cardboard boxes
in the attic and consigned
to oblivion and dust.

© Luigi Pagano 2018

Certificate U
Poem
Mutevoli pensieri

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Yes, I spent quite a precious gift long ago on what seemed such a useful acquisition. It is still on some shelves but used almost not at all for so long. But it does seem sad to enter homes where there are almost no apparent books, nothing to pick up and browse, or see the owner's tastes, or how much is read, and when travelling no indication of what many are reading! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Hello Rhiannon,
they were, as you say, a useful acquisition and very much relied upon when technology was not as advanced as it is today. 
I kept my set for a long time proudly displayed on the bookshelf and, though reluctant to get rid of books at any time, I gave my collection to a charity shop long ago having at the time been given a new computer program called Encarta, which I understand is now obsolete and replaced by Wikipedia and similar search engines. 
My shelves are overflowing with hardbacks and paperbacks that I liked and deemed worthy of keeping.

Luigi x

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

I can identify with this piece Luigi.

Parting with encylopedias that were bought for me as a child in the early 1960s and which I grew up with, for me was a mistake, but i do treasure the 25 books on nature that I kept, they give me so much pleasure and I'm glad I held on to them.

It's nice to see shelves of books even if they do get dusty. I have a few that I treasure and would not part with.

Any way I enjoyed reading, it got me thinking. 

Jenny. xx

 

Submitted by luigi_pagano on

Dear Jenny,
I too derive a lot of pleasure from reading and I am also keen on acquiring more knowledge which the encyclopedias provided.
Nowadays the trend is to go paperless even as books are concerned; one can read through mediums like  Kindle and as for information it can be found on search engines like Google, Byng, etc.
I must confess that I relinquished my printed encyclopedia but I am very strict when it comes to cull the number of books that fill my bookshelves.

Thanks for reading and commenting.

Luigi xx