Encyclopedia of British Columbia

Ann Turner is the financial and budget manager of the University of
British Columbia Library.

With over 4000 articles arranged from “Abalone” to “Zuckerman,
George, musician,” this is a true encyclopedia of all things in and
about British Columbia. Six major essays, written by experts in their
fields, cover the basic topics of the economy, First Nations, history,
literature, natural history, and physical geography, and lead to many
other articles on more specific topics. Articles are connected by an
internal cross-referencing system based on article titles cited in the
text. There is an index to subjects that don’t have their own article
but are included in others, as well as a bibliography.

The scope of the encyclopedia is vast. Every populated place in British
Columbia is included, every premier and lieutenant governor, all the
major industries, personalities from every walk of life, species of
plants and animals, and native B.C. terms. The volume is packed with
photographs, chronologies, and statistical tables. A particularly useful
feature is the CD-ROM included with the printed encyclopedia: The
Interactive Encyclopedia of B.C. It contains not only the full text of
the print version but also audio and video clips as illustrations and an
efficient searching system. The Interactive Encyclopedia is being
maintained and updated continuously, and can be accessed by subscription
to its Web site. Highly recommended for school and public libraries.