Oxford English Dictionary, Version 3.0: Windows Version 2nd Edition

Into this CD ROM (stands for Compact Disc Read-Only Memory) fits an entire shelf of the print OED. A CD needed a computer with an optical drive to read, a right version of software to access the information on it. ROM meant the information on it couldn't be deleted, altered or edited. The CDs over the years have been replaced by flash drives (USBs), and finally the OED is on the "cloud". Once the ultimate data storage solution, the CD ROMs saved so much space on our bookshelves, however, the rapid-changing technology made them obsolete sooner than expected.

"This copy of the OED was one of my primary research tools while pursuing an MA in Shakespeare Studies. It provided an historical context to better understand how language had changed over the past four centuries."*

*Eric Luhrs, Senior Library Systems Analyst