O Britannica! A Print Reference Star Goes Dark As I drank my morning coffee, I read that the Encyclopaedia Britannica will no longer publish in print its wonderful set of reference books ("Britannica Is Reduced to a Click," front page, March 14). I felt stabbed in the heart, and it took me until midmorning to understand my sadness. Growing up in a middle-class, typical suburban household, our Britannicas were one of the centerpieces of my parents" home. Neither of my parents were high school graduates, yet they raised six children who went to college and obtained additional degrees. The constant presence of our Britannicas was a metaphor for intellectual curiosity and the pursuit of an education. I used the encyclopedias for projects and essays throughout my school years (and recall having to copy the name off the cover to ensure that I spelled it correctly). Living in Montana, I am reminded constantly to be "green," but the absence of books will be a cultural loss. Books in print represent more than the words and wisdom they contain. My hope is that for the next generation, electronic information will come to represent the same. G. MARK SEAL Great Falls, Mont., March 14, 2012 It isn't just Encyclopaedia Britannica that is being "reduced to a click," but all books seem to be headed in that direction, as e-book readers proliferate. This digitization of print may be inevitable, but we are losing something precious in our culture. Yes, we can find facts much faster (and we do need this convenience these days), but the Internet and its resources can never replace physical books, no more than a photograph of a Rembrandt can replace the actual painting. The very physicality of books, encyclopedias included, plays a basic role in the learning experience. Physical books slow us down - we need to slow down - and foster deeper thinking free from the limitations and interferences of electronic gadgetry. And yes, books are beautiful, inside as well as out. FRED D. WHITE Rancho Cordova, Calif., March 14, 2012 The writer is emeritus professor of English at Santa Clara University.