First appearing in 1950-51, this multivolume encyclopedia is now generally regarded as among the finest published in North America. Articles are written in a clear, concise, authoritative style by the publisher's sizable in-house staff and supported by the signed contributions of some 4,500 academic specialists drawn mostly from universities in the United States and Great Britain. Though particularly strong on practical subjects, biography, and in its coverage of the countries of the world, Collier's tends to avoid covering controversial or sensitive issues. As a "broad-entry" encyclopedia, small related topics are integrated into essay-length omnibus articles rather than treated as separate entries. Use of the index is essential. Unlike most encyclopedias, bibliographies are published at the beginning of Volume 24 (rather than appended to the entry) and tend to be dated.

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