Re: Closing the book: RIP for the OED

In Reply to: Re: Closing the book: RIP for the OED posted by James Briggs on August 30, 2010 at 15:04:

: : : : : Under the above headline today's Sunday Times contained an article which read:
: : : : : "A TEAM of 80 has been working on it for the past 21 years, but now the lexicographers compiling the
: : : : : third edition of the Oxford English Dictionary are being told that it will never appear in print.
: : : : : The dictionary's owner, Oxford University Press (OUP), has said that the impact of the internet means
: : : : : the latest update to the definitive record of the English language will never be published as a book......."

: : : : Wow.

: : : There will be an Internet publication, as there is now, but no paper, printed, one.

: : I can think of a lot of limitations to just an online publication. But I guess it cuts down on dusting your books/bookshelves.

: It will also cost!

It will cut down on reinforcing bookshelves too. The last time I spied an OED in the flesh it needed a truck to move it around.

I hope UK libraries continue to offer it for free as a public service. Given the state of library finances, I somehow doubt that.

• Re: Closing the book: RIP for the OED ESC 01/September/10 (0)