Darkroom manual clearinghouse(library)

[Rick A]

Now that I have given away my last darkroom manual, I find myself wondering where the neophytes are going to get printed literature on the basic process. Would anyone be interested in helping establish a site where they (the neo's)can ask for help in obtaining manuals for photo developing and printing. I have seen in the past where Simon has offered up some for schools, but what about the folks out there who are having a difficult time picking one up, or dont know how to go about getting one. Nothing makes me happier than helping someone learn our craft, but my resources have run dry. I am constantly seeking books and other literature and in turn, hand it out to those in need(free to them).
Could we make a sticky(or anything) of people willing to post that have a manual to donate, or sell cheap, so that neos can get the needed help, or do we trust that they will swallow their pride and ask in the classifieds(or post a thread).
Any input offered is appreciated.

cheers

 

[jfdupuis]

I found everything I needed to learn at my public library when I first started. From Ansel trilogy to Way Beyond Monochrome, now the Master Photographers Toning Book is on my desk. I can't really see how this could be better in the already established public library system.

 

[Rick A]

Thats good if your library stocks the older books, our library dumped almost all the photo books except a few on digicrud, and a bio on St Ansel and one on Stieglitz. I wonder how many other libraries 'modernized' and got rid of their books on film photography.

 

[jfdupuis]

The thing here is that all the public library and university are connected to each other and you can search a central database that contains all the books within Denmark. You can then ask to have the book delivered to your nearest library for free. That way, you can have access to a vast amount of specialized books that most library wouldn't care about.

 

[Rick A]

Not every community here has that available. If it is available, you have to wait for the book, then only get to borrow for two weeks. I'm thinking in the line of letting people keep the books we no longer need, and they do need.When they become proficient, they can pass the books along to the next person in need, or send it back to the repository, or previous owner.

 

[An Le-qun]

Another plug for libraries, public or otherwise: most have access to WorldCat, a catalogue of (reputedly) all the contents of all the libraries in the world. Actually, it's a catalogue of most of the contents of lots of libraries. Lots and lots, but not all.

The first great thing about it is that, if you know the title--or the author's name, or something close--or even the title (etc.) of a book on the same subject, you can (a) find a catalog record for that book, then (b) click on the entry in the list of subjects that best fits the one you're after and get a long list of books with the same subject that might well contain the one you're looking for, or something just as good.

The second great thing is that there is also a link from that catalog record for the book you're looking for to a list of all the libraries (among those with contents listed in WorldCat) that own the book.

Third, libraries that have access to WorldCat often participate in an interlibrary loan service that allows libraries (and patrons of same) to borrow books from other libraries. I have gotten things from across the country as well as from cities 20 miles away. The system used to be kind of slow, but it has picked up considerable speed--a week or 10 days is often the time-lag between requesting and receiving items now.

And then, there's the second-hand bookstore. 2/3 of my personal stuff I have purchased for a total of about 1/10 of the original retail price.

 

[jvo]

good idea...

without a definitive locus for newbies (forum, site, resource, effort), you're right, the need will go unfulfilled and interest will die.

There really are a lot of resources available though they are dwindling at an alarming rate (your local library, discarding those "outmoded" photo books, for example; photog's moving to the great darkroom.... etc.)... resources become more remote and inaccessible - even with the internet!

Museum's and libraries offer some aspect of this, though often remote, or diverse. Something more accessible? a combination of efforts?