Good news from the BC Breeding Bird Atlas Steering Committee: we are going to be getting a comprehensive, high quality BC Atlas published online.
Features impossible to duplicate in book form will be available to all, and the atlas is almost certain to become a landmark publication in the field of bird atlases.
The publishing world has changed in the seven years since the atlas was started. Costs for a printed book have risen dramatically, and demand and interest from funders and users has shifted from print to online.
The news is certainly a disappointment for those who were looking forward to having a physical book, but there will be some significant compensations in usability, accessibility, and quality and quantity of maps.
For a full explanation from the Steering Committee click here.
That is too bad it won’t be published in a book. I really enjoy the books simply because if I want to sit outside and read or physically travel somewhere, I like taking a book. I don’t want to buy a tablet or a portable computer. I would have bought the book even at $120. Right now finances a tight, but I’m sure I would find away to purchase one. Again, that is a shame it won’t be in book form, but I do look forward to the online atlas.