The World Book Encyclopedia

Katherine BlonskiA Ready Reference Instructional Presentation

The World Book Encyclopedia

The World Book Encyclopedia is in the business of helping families, schools, and libraries across the world discover content that is trustworthy and readable.

It presents information in the most accessible and usable form.

It aims to meet the reference and study needs of students, librarians, and the general public.

It is a tool for learning with general information about people, places, things, events, and ideas.

HistoryWorld Book, Inc. was founded in 1915World Book was first published in 1917 as an 8-

volume set.It has expanded over the years and now has 22

volumes which includes an index.It is updated and reprinted each year.

AuthoritySince its first publication, World Book has been a

leader in providing research materials.It has set standards for supplying accuracy,

reliability, and objectivity in those materials. A panel of experts, scholars, and consultants in

major academic fields such as biological sciences, humanities, physical science, and social science are involved in the planning, production, and ongoing evaluation. It is the combined expertise of 4,000 individuals.

Selection of ContentsA program of research and evaluation offers

editors the data required to help make decisions on the contents.

Periodic curriculum studies provide information on the topics studied in school systems from kindergarten to high school.

An analysis of curriculum guides, national and state standards, and textbooks supply information on current and new school topics.

AccessUsers can find World Book in the Reference

Section of the library.It is for in-library use only.

ArrangementWorld Book is organized for the user to quickly find the

information they are seeking.All articles are alphabetically arranged, volume by

volume and subject by subject.Volumes are arranged by letter.

All entries that begin with the letter “A” are found in Volume A and so on.

In some cases, entries that start with two or more consecutive letters are arranged in one volume.

In two instances, letters “C” and “S”, a single volume is not large enough to accommodate all the articles with the same letter.

Fourfold Plan for Major Articles

The plan brings together four basic elements: an outline, a complete story, visual aids, and related articles. An outline gives readers an overall view of the article and

shows the interrelationship of its units. The complete story gives readers a solid foundation of

information about a subject. A wide variety of visual aids clarifies meaning and

reinforces learning. Photographs, drawings, paintings, maps, diagrams, charts, and graphs give life to information.

A list of related World Book articles encourages readers to broaden their study of a subject.

How to Use World Book World Book provides users with a how-to guide in the

Preface found in Volume A, pages VIII-X. Below are tips World Book supplies to find information in

the entries. Word-by-word arrangement

In the alphabetical system used in World Book, semicolons and then spaces precede letters of the alphabet. A few different examples:

Man; Isle of Man; Managua. New York; Newark. Delacroix, Eugene; De la Roche, Mazo; Delaware; De la Warr, Lord;

Delegate. Antidote; Anti-Federalists; Antifreeze. Mary; Mary I; Mary II; Mary, Queen of Scots; Mary Magdalene.

How to Use World Book (cont’d)

Guide words At the top of each page is a guide word. These are

there to help users quickly locate an entry.Entry-cross references

They appear in bold and are included in the alphabetical arrangement.

Some provide the titles of topics that can be found in the set under other names. The entry directs the user to the place where the most

specific information is located on the topic. Other entry-cross references tell the user what section

of an article to find information.

How to Use World Book (cont’d)

Cross-references within the text These “see” and “see also” cross-references are within and

after the text. They direct users to particular maps, charts, pictures, or

articles for additional information on the material that was just read.

Article headings Articles are divided into sections and subsections with their

own headings.Captions

The illustrations have captions that give information to clarify or add to the information in the article.

Example SearchTo find “Italy” in World Book, a user must first

locate the correct volume.

“Italy” is located in Volume 10 “I”

This is the page a user would find for “Italy” in World Book.

Guide wordGuide word

Guide word

Caption

Cross-reference

Article heading

Finding information is easy within the entry using the tips supplied by World Book.

Special Features Pronunciation key

World Book provides pronunciation for unusual or unfamiliar words.

The words are divided into syllables and respelled to show how each syllable sounds.

Illustrations and maps These are supplements to the article.

Research aids These are included to assist the user to search within World

Book and to facilitate finding information outside of it. A guide to writing, speaking, and research skills

This feature is used to help students on an oral or written report.

CitationWorld Book, Inc. (2016). The World Book

Encyclopedia.

Further QuestionsIf there are questions about this resource as you

familiarize yourself with it and recommend it to students, please contact the head librarian.