When you pick up a book and flip through the pages, you are browsing. Browsing is useful when you don't know exactly what you are looking for or when you are looking for information on a broad topic. It is also a fun way to learn new and unexpected things.
To begin browsing, select one of the encyclopedia libraries. Each library gives you several ways to browse its contents.
Subject Browse
Subject Browse organizes a selection of encyclopedia articles in a topical outline.
1. Click a topic (Arts, Geography, Social Studies, etc...) on the Middle School or Elementary School library home page.
NOTE: For High School, first click Subject Browse.
2. Click on "Subtopics" to see a list of narrower topics and related articles.
3. Click on an underlined topic to open an article.
The subject browse includes only selected encyclopedia articles. If you can't find the information you are seeking, be sure to try searching.
A-Z Browse
A printed encyclopedia organizes its articles alphabetically. Use A-Z Browse to explore the encyclopedia articles as you would in a book and to see a complete listing of all articles in the encyclopedia.
1. Choose A-Z Browse on the High School, Middle School, or Elementary School home page.
2. Click a letter or combination of letters to see a list of articles.
3. Type in the first few letters of a word and click Go if you are looking for a specific article.
4. Browse the list of articles and click on titles to read encyclopedia articles.
When you type in the first few letters of a word, you will see only alphabetic results from the encyclopedia you are browsing. If you would like to alphabetically browse another encyclopedia, switch to a different library by using the buttons at the bottom of any page.
Timelines
Britannica's Interactive Timelines list important events in history and provide links to related articles.
1. Choose "Timelines" from any of the library home pages.
2. Select a subject area from the gray bar at the bottom of the timeline. (Elementary School includes a single timeline that combines many subjects.)
3. Use the sliding pointer to select a year or click the next and previous arrows to navigate through the timeline entries.
4. Click "Learn more" to view related articles, which open in the main window behind the timeline window.
You can also enter a year in the white box on the lower right and click "Go." The Timeline will move to the year of the nearest entry.
World Atlas
Maps are excellent tools for learning more about the countries and peoples of the world.
1. Click World Atlas from any of the library home pages.
2. Click on the map to zoom in to another map or use the menus at the top to select continents, countries, states and provinces, or oceans.
3. Click the tabs above the map to view other types of maps such as physical maps.
4. Scroll to see profiles and links to other maps and articles.
Be sure to explore the articles related to a map for complete information.
Video Browse
You can browse through a selection of Britannica videos.
1. Select "Video Browse" from any of the library home pages.
2. Select a subject such as Language Arts or Science, then click a video to play it.
3. In the video player window, select your player (if necessary) and then watch the video clip.
The video browse includes only selected video clips. If you are looking for a topic, be sure to try searching.
Spotlights
Britannica's Spotlights are like Web sites. They cover a variety of topics (Nobel Prizes, Shakespeare, Dinosaurs), providing educational materials and multimedia.
The Index (High School only)
The Index lists topics alphabetically and you can use it to find all the references to a topic throughout Encyclopędia Britannica.
1. Click "The Index" on the High School home page.
2. Select a letter or combination of letters to see a list of topics.
3. Or type in the first few letters of a word and click Go if you are looking for a specific topic.
4. Browse the list of topics and click on one to see its index entry.
5. Use the plus sign (+) to expand a topic.
6. Click underlined words to open articles.
Year in Review Browse (High School only)
Browse articles on notable people and events from the past decade.
1. Select "Year in Review" on the High School library home page.
2. Click a year to see articles covering the events of the previous year.
3. Click the links to navigate the table of contents or to view articles.
Year in Review includes biographies of many people not covered in the encyclopedias. You can find information on your favorite movie star or musician as you browse.
Classics (High School only)
Celebrate Encyclopędia Britannica's long and illustrious history with a collection of articles by some of its most famous authors. Galleries feature some of the maps and illustrations from past editions.