▁had ▁been ▁digit ized , ▁allowing ▁for ▁release ▁of ▁an ▁online ▁version ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 7 . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁few ▁years ▁the ▁product ▁was ▁augment ed ▁with ▁additional ▁features , ▁functions , ▁supp lement ary ▁references , ▁Internet ▁links , ▁and ▁current ▁events ▁journal . ▁A ▁red es igned ▁interface ▁and ▁partly ▁re engine ered ▁product , ▁featuring ▁en hanced ▁search ▁capabilities ▁and ▁a ▁first - ever ▁A DA - comp li ant , ▁text - only ▁version ▁for ▁users ▁with ▁dis abilities , ▁was ▁presented ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁The ▁ac quisition ▁of ▁Gro lier ▁by ▁Sch ol astic ▁for ▁US $ 4 0 0 ▁million , ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁The ▁new ▁own ers ▁project ed ▁a ▁ 3 0 % ▁increase ▁in ▁operating ▁income , ▁although ▁histor ically ▁Gro lier ▁had ▁experienced ▁ear nings ▁of ▁ 7 % ▁to ▁ 8 % ▁on ▁income . ▁Staff ▁redu ctions ▁as ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁cont rolling ▁costs ▁followed ▁soon ▁there after , ▁even ▁while ▁an ▁effort ▁was ▁made ▁to ▁augment ▁the ▁sales ▁force . ▁C uts ▁occurred ▁every ▁year ▁between ▁ 2 0 0 0 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁leaving ▁a ▁much - de ple ted ▁work ▁force ▁to ▁carry ▁out ▁the ▁duties ▁of ▁maintain ing ▁a ▁large ▁en cyc lopedia ▁database . ▁Today , ▁Encyclopedia ▁Amer icana ▁lives ▁on ▁as ▁an ▁integral ▁database ▁within ▁the ▁Gro lier ▁Online ▁product . ▁ ▁Edit ors - in -