After 244 years in print, Encyclopaedia Britannica has called time on its iconic 32-volume book sets.
A new version is usually printed every two years, but the company has announced the 2010 set will be the last.
While the announcement represents the end of the thick-printed volumes, first published in 1768, it also heralds a new beginning for the company.
Jorge Cauz, the president of Encyclopaedia Britannica, says the company will shift its focus to digital content.
"We believe that the announcement ... is of great significance, not for what it says about our past, but for what it projects about our vibrant present and future as a digital provider of general knowledge and instructional services," he wrote in a blog post.
"I understand that for some the end of the Britannica print set may be perceived as an unwelcomed goodbye to a dear, reliable, and trustworthy friend that brought them the joy of discovery in the quest for knowledge.
"In fact, today our digital database is much larger than what we can fit in the print set. And it is up to date because we can revise it within minutes anytime we need to, and we do it many times each day."
The company will keep selling print editions until the current stock runs out.
Mr Cauz says Encyclopaedia Britannica will continue to shift with the times.
"In spite of our long history with print, I would like to point out that no single medium, neither books nor bits, is at the core of our mission," he wrote.
"That mission is to be a reliable, up-to-date, and scholarly source of knowledge and learning for the general public, and I believe that 200 years from now, this mission will continue to be vital and relevant and that the people of the future who are committed to it will use the best available technology to fulfil it."
