Encyclopaedia Britannica Stops Print Edition

After 244 years, Encyclopaedia Britannica is going all digital.

“The end of the print set is something we’ve foreseen for some time,” Jorge Cauz, president of Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc., said in a statement. “It’s the latest step in our evolution from the print publisher we were, to the creator of digital learning products we are today.”

The first Encyclopaedia Britannica was printed in 1768. The end of the print editon is a nod to the burgeoning digital age and competition from websites like Wikipedia, which depends on user-updated content. Britannica's digital version was first published in 1981, and the online version followed in 1994.

The Chicago publisher said about 85 percent of its revenue is now generated from instructional and e-learning offerings, though sales to schools also add to its revenue.